Trust
by Pudduh
Summary: A whole new Universe for Tenchi to play in!
1. Pt.1

***Right this is my first fic for a while, something to fill the gap between NNFW and the upcoming Good Guys series which I'm making. Anyway firstly to make sure that there is no misunderstanding:   
  
THIS IS NOT A BLOODY SI FIC!!! Gary Thatch does not exist in real life; he is a figment of Peter Vine's imagination. And before you ask NO! Peter Vine has never or will EVER be inserted into his own fics!   
  
Right now we've got that cleared up ENJOY! (Remember any flames, rants, advice or pats on the backs E-Mail to: PUDDAH@NTLWORLD.COM)***  
  
The day was overcast. It looked; as though it was going to rain.   
Water trickled down the natural streams that flowed down the steep  
sides of the hills in the region of the Masaki shrine. Tenchi   
wandered down the ancient steps as he headed home, looking over the  
lush valley before him. The day was getting old as it got darker.   
  
Clicking his neck after a hard days work, cleaning out the main   
courtyard of the Shrine, he was looking forward a nice relaxing  
bath after dinner. Noting the remoteness of the area made him more  
relaxed as he finished descending the steps and walked through the   
light forest.   
  
"Yes this is the life" he beamed to himself as he walked back to the  
house. There Grandfather and Father Nobiyuki would be waiting.  
He heard the wind blow suddenly, sending leaves rolling along the   
ground. "So serene" he thought to himself "so peaceful".  
  
As Tenchi walked on the wind stopped. A figure began to de-cloak,  
seeing Tenchi walk off into the distance the figure fully appeared.   
  
A tall, slim man appeared, covered from head to toe with a thick   
black bodysuit. His eyes covered by a miniature Infrared goggles   
and on his hands were a pair of tight, chain gloves.   
  
The man crouched as he looked around, scanning the area   
with his goggles he sighed. He pulled the goggles off and blinked  
his eyes to get used to the light.  
  
"Lost her" he said quietly to himself as he took a breather. "You   
sure?" came a voice out of nowhere. The man froze. Looking around  
quickly he saw where she was coming from. "Oh crap" he said "Ryoko",  
wide eyed as an orange energy bolt came right at him. He dived as it  
seared through the tree, leaving a gaping hole. Not even thinking  
of turning to see where the bolt had come from he got up and ran down  
the path as fast as he could.  
  
"Oh Gary" came a snigger as a young, tall woman with spiky Cyan hair  
phased out of a tree "not running away are we?".  
  
Gary kept running.  
  
****  
  
Tenchi was humming to himself as he heard a sudden thudding of feet  
behind him, looking round his shoulder he saw a man clad in black  
sprint past. "Gangway mate!" Gary shouted.   
"Whoa!" Tenchi cried as he nearly fell on his butt. Gary grabbed onto Tenchi's arm and pulled  
him along.   
"Its not safe here!" Gary said "Leggit!"  
  
Tenchi, being dragged along at an incredible speed, looked behind  
him to see Ryoko giving chase by air.  
  
"Is there anywhere I can hideout when we lose her?"   
"What?" Tenchi yelled as he was pulled along "who is she and why is she chasing  
us?"   
"Me" Gary corrected "I just don't want her severing any heads  
that's all" he said with a smile. Tenchi blinked, still totally confused.  
  
When Gary turned his head back to the path he saw Ryoko standing  
in their way. Stopping in his tracks, Gary then fell flat on his face as   
Tenchi bumped heavily into him, unable to stop himself.  
  
"Well , well, well" Ryoko smiled tapping her feet "out for a jog?"  
"Might be" Gary said picking himself up "not that it should matter  
to you seeing as your gonna spend the rest of your sentence where  
you belong."   
"You'll never get me back in that isolation chamber" Ryoko murmured, eyes narrowing.  
"Isolation chamber?" Tenchi said, "Sentence? Now you've lost me!"  
"I'll explain later" Gary hushed "just keep quiet for now".   
"No!" Tenchi shouted,   
"Before you do anything who is this lady?"  
  
Gary looked at Ryoko with a raised eyebrow, then back at Tenchi who   
was scratching his head as he struggled to take all this in.  
"She's Ryoko, a highly dangerous inter-galactic pirate-cum-mercenary.  
Wanted for numerous robberies, smuggling, gun running and numerous  
alcohol offences" Tenchi kind of went white at that "And you are?"  
"I'm Detective Sergeant Gary Thach, DS Thach for short. I'm here   
representing the cross board of the 12 major police federations  
and the internal justice system of the Empire of Jurai." Gary said  
as he pointed at Ryoko "and she's been my target for the last 10   
months when she escaped from Isolation after she was sentenced  
to 2000 years for her crimes!"   
"Oh" Tenchi said quietly as his color stayed sheet white, looking at both Gary and Ryoko as they stared  
each other out.  
  
After a long silence Ryoko burst out "You're not gonna get be back  
in that chamber!" as she formed an energy sword giving Tenchi a big shock.   
"Ryoko you have to pay for your crimes" Gary said forming an energy sword of his own.  
"No no!" Tenchi tried to intervene "you can't do that here!"   
"You keep out of this!" the pair shouted at Tenchi. They got back to the  
staring match that was developing.  
  
"You really think that you can take me on?" Ryoko said through   
gritted teeth.   
"I don't think" Gary stared back "I know".   
Ryoko shook her head with a smile as she phased out into thin air.   
Gary looked around, quickly looking for her. "Bugger" he muttered to himself he turned around and faced   
Tenchi, looking above him. "Err...excuse me?" Tenchi said. "shhh"  
Gary said "she's stalking".   
"Stalking?" Tenchi blinked "what?"   
"Keep quiet and stay close" Gary muttered turning back round. The sun was  
setting, the air was still as Gary peered through the undergrowth.  
After a moment, Gary nodded to Tenchi that they should move on.  
  
They moved down the path very slowly, by now a light breeze had   
formed. Gary stopped every now and then to check the area around  
them. Shortly though after they moved on Gary stopped suddenly.  
His head slowly turned to the left. He saw some leaves flow along.  
  
"Against the wind" he thought. He quickly watched the leaves as they  
flowed faster in an arc heading round towards Tenchi, heading ever  
faster. "Look out" Gary said, kicking Tenchi out of the way as an   
orange energy sword came into view, slashing down onto where Tenchi  
would've been.   
  
Gary himself jumped back as the sword flicked back up towards him,  
threatening to disconnect his head. Ryoko appeared out of the spot  
that Tenchi had been standing on.  
  
"Oh very fancy" Gary said sarcastically.   
"I'm impressed" grinned Ryoko "only 2 people have ever saw through that, and one died".   
"Guess I'm the only one left" Gary said as he formed his sword.   
"Not for long" said Ryoko as she jumped up leaping down at Gary, her sword  
slicing down at his head. Gary blocked and was forced down onto one  
knee by the force of the blow. Ryoko sniggered as she kicked him   
back, Gary rolling just in time as Ryoko stabbed down. He flipped  
round and jumped back again looking behind him to see the one of the  
many tall trees.  
Jumping onto the trunk, using a split version of his sword as a climbing   
instrument he climbed as fast as he could disappearing round the   
other side of the trunk. Ryoko raised an eyebrow and casually  
followed. "There's no way you can escape by going up Gary" Ryoko   
shouted as she went round the wide trunk. She saw Gary, breathing  
heavily. "Found ya!" she grinned as she brought up her energy sword.  
Gary looked at her then just pushed off, falling away from the tree.  
Ryoko looked at the space Gary had just vacated. A glowing dark blue  
ball was embedded in the trunk. "Oh sh.." Ryoko cursed as she was   
enveloped in the explosion. Gary however falling to the ground   
slammed a spike into the side of the tree, slamming a button on his  
suit to keep the climbing wire tight. Swinging to the side to avoid  
the falling top half of the tree.  
  
Abseiling down to the bottom of the tree he looked up and still saw  
that the area of the blast was covered in smoke.  
  
"In 3...2...1" Gary mumbled as he recalled his wire and spike. Tenchi  
walked up next to him. "Is she dead?" "Her?" Gary grinned, "No, take  
more than a minor explosion to kill her" he pointed as a large see-  
thru blue sphere appeared through the smoke. "What's that?" "Oh that,  
she's been enveloped by a special field device. The explosion  
expels special magnetic particles of energy and they fuse together,  
forming a special force field around the target" Gary explained  
as he pointed upward "in this case our favorite space pirate Ryoko"  
"Now what are you gonna do?" Tenchi asked as the sphere descended  
to the ground, Ryoko banging against the see-thru walls. Gary walked  
up to the Sphere. "Your sentence starts here Ryoko" he laughed.  
Ryoko just stared, clasping her hands, shaking a bit. "Oh bugger"  
Gary said quietly. "What now?" "I didn't count on her high pain   
tolerance levels" Gary said as he stepped backwards. "Why what's  
she doing now?" "Breaking the sphere" "What?" Tenchi exclaimed  
"but you said" "I said it could it hold her" Gary turned and grabbed  
Tenchi "What I didn't say was it could hold her to an extent, now I   
think we should make ourselves scarce right?"  
  
****  
  
Gary started running really fast now, pulling his black head mask for  
air. Tenchi followed having left his broom far behind. They hadn't  
got any more than 200 meters when there was a loud explosion behind  
them.  
  
"She's out" Gary shouted as he ran "you better have a good excuse  
for your parents" "Why?" "I need to use your phone-line" "What for?"  
"I'll explain later just do what I s..what?" he stopped suddenly,  
the gloves on his hands crackling with blue and yellow energy "crap!"  
he cursed as he quickly took the gloves off and threw them to the   
ground. "What's up with that?" "She manipulating the energy flows  
and blowing the Dim-e" "Dim-e" "My control gloves" Gary explained  
as he saw the gloves melt with the intense heat flowing through  
it "they act as viaducts for energy, they blow and I've lost my   
powers" "And they've just blown?" Ryoko said as she appeared behind  
them "Aww too bad Gary". Gary said nothing as he watched her.   
"Yo-you're gonna kill him?" Tenchi said. "Well duh!" Ryoko laughed  
"he's been bugging me for months now, the sooner he's out of the way,  
the sooner I can have fun!" Gary kicked up some dust into Ryoko's  
face, using the window of opportunity he threw down a miniature  
smoke canister. "Ohhhh you!" Ryoko shouted in the smoke. "Follow  
me!" Gary shouted once again grabbing Tenchi, running into the deep  
undergrowth. "Get back here!" Ryoko yelled as she gave chase, sending  
bolts of orange energy crashing into the trunks of trees that Gary  
and Tenchi passed, making them duck in panic as they ran, pure fear  
and adrenalin urging them on further.  
  
"I can't run for much longer Gary" panted Tenchi. "Same hereeee!"  
yelled Gary as he emerged out of the bush, straight into thin air.  
Grabbing onto the side of the ledge, he watched as Tenchi run off the  
ledge. Gary managed to grab his arm.  
  
"Hold still" Gary said as in inserted his climbing spike "and keep  
quiet". Tenchi nodded.  
  
After a minute or so, steps were heard.  
  
"Dammit" a voice that sounded like Ryoko cursed "lost em'. Well I'd  
better find Gary at least". The footsteps stopped. "What she doing?"  
Tenchi whispered. "keep quiet" Gary hissed. "Ryo-Ohki...come!"  
Ryoko shouted. Gary started trembling suddenly.   
"What's the matter?" Tenchi asked. Gary didn't answer as he heard a faint meow come from  
the bushes. Peering over the ledge he came face to face with the   
creature that was the Cabbit. Gary froze. "Meow?" Ryo-ohki said   
enquiringly, licking Gary's nose. "Aggg!" Gary screamed as he dropped  
back down, the shock to the climbing spike was too great as it fell  
out of its fix in the side of the ledge, sending Gary and Tenchi  
falling down the side of the cliff.  
  
"Gary!" Tenchi screamed. Gary recovered from the shock and looked  
down. River, connected to lake. Good. Quickly forming an aerodynamic  
shape he zoomed towards Tenchi, grabbing onto him and placing him on  
his back. "Hold on tight" Gary yelled as he positioned himself for a   
splashdown on the lake. Suddenly he extended his legs and arms to act  
as air breaks.  
  
Then they hit the water at an astonishing speed, sending water   
everywhere. Two drenched and exhausted men floated up to the surface,  
breathing in air to help soothe the exhaustion and shock in their  
systems.  
  
"Do ya reckon we lost them?" Tenchi asked. "I don't know" Gary   
answered "I never got your name by the way" "Tenchi, Tenchi Masaki"  
"Good name, lets get to your house on the other side of the lake"  
Gary said as he got out of the water. Rushing with speed to Tenchi's  
house, Gary and Tenchi flew through the front door, Tenchi throwing  
off his shoes and rushing past Nobiyuki.  
  
"Son!" he shouted after them "why the rush dammit!". He turned away  
"Not like he has a girlfriend or anything". Looking over at Yosho  
who was looking out of the living room window. "Hey what's that?"  
  
Opening the door to Tenchi's bedroom quickly them closing it shut   
again, they stared at it, breathing deeply. "Well I've got to figure  
out a way to communicate with..." Gary started as he turned to the   
window, he never finished the sentence as he saw Ryoko floating  
outside, cheeky smile out on show. "Found you!" she chimed as she   
phased through the window frame.  
  
The look on Gary's face was one of total surprise. Tenchi's face   
though was much more concerned. White even.  
  
"Now where was I" Ryoko said as she walked slowly towards the   
cornered pair.   
"Ryoko you don't want to do this" Gary said "you'll have every   
Copper, Galaxy detective, Jurain law lord and bounty   
hunter going for your head."   
"Good" Ryoko giggled "Always wanted a decent challenge for once."   
"Wait!" Tenchi shouted running front of Gary "you can't kill Gary, Ryoko!"   
"Why can't I?"   
"Murder is illegal on this planet!"   
"Well that hasn't stopped me before"   
"I didn't mean it that way" said Tenchi "I'm saying its just plain   
wrong!" as he stepped in front of Gary.   
"Why is it wrong?" Ryoko blinked.   
"Because it is!" Tenchi said raising his hands "and you'll  
have to kill me to get to him"   
"Fine so be it" Smiled Ryoko as she formed her sword.   
"He's got nothing to do with this Ryoko, leave him out of it" Gary said   
sternly. Ryoko said nothing as she raised it then stopped there,   
seeing the emotion in Tenchi's eyes then looked over at Gary who had   
that "don't do it" look in his face. She trembled a bit then cut off her   
sword. "Aw alright you two can live" Ryoko muttered. Gary sighed deeply,   
Tenchi blinked looked at Gary who was smiling.   
"We safe now?" Tenchi asked.  
"uh-huh" Ryoko nodded.  
"Phew!" Tenchi gasped as he fall backwards onto the floor. Fainted.  
  
****  
  
"Well" Ryoko said as she sat by Gary looking at the lake "I guess  
you're stuck here"   
"Yep" Gary nodded "Also I guess what's happened  
before is bygones"   
Ryoko nodded. A silence followed for a minute or so.   
"You weren't really going to kill me were you?" Gary asked.  
"Yeah!" Ryoko laughed "you always did underestimate me"   
"Well I must be getting soft after those months in front of the desk"   
he smiled as he patted his stomach "I did after all get myself a beer belly".  
Ryoko giggled as she drunk her sake.   
"Christ that's your 3rd bottle!" Gary laughed, "You must have a liver of steel".   
"I got it from somewhere" Ryoko said as she drank some more.   
"Don't you remember who your mum or dad were?"   
"Hey!" Ryoko snapped "I'm 2,000 years old what do you expect"   
"Wow sorry" Gary said as he drank some sake.   
"I'm sorry, I just don't know who my parents were, I only remember being  
with Ryo-ohki in space that's all I've ever known"   
Gary patted Ryoko's back "That's a bit of a bugger isn't it?"   
Ryoko nodded.  
"Well cheer up, you're going nowhere near that isolation chamber"  
Gary smiled.   
Ryoko perked up a bit.   
"For now" said Gary as he drank some sake, a hint of seriousness   
on his voice. "What happened to Tenchi?"   
Ryoko said, looking towards the house. "Oh him, he's still  
out cold on his bed, his father and Grandfather said he'd be okay"  
Gary said through a smirk.   
"He didn't really take the action that well" Ryoko said,   
still looking at the house.   
"Well I did have to save his life twice" Gary said as he picked up   
Ryo-ohki, stroking her, the Cabbit meowing happily "No thanks to this silly thing."  
"Hey all she did was lick your nose!" laughed Ryoko.   
"Well...it still scared the crap out of me" Gary smiled as he tickled Ryo-ohki's  
belly.   
"Anything would scare the crap out of you!" Ryoko giggled,  
"Remember the last time we met?"   
"uh-huh" Gary nodded "you nearly took my head off with that massive chunk of sharpened metal!"   
"You didn't like that at all!"   
"You think?" Gary mumbled, "I've only just come off the Prozac and lithium".   
He looked at Ryoko on her back laughing,   
"What's so funny?"   
"Nothing" Ryoko laughed hysterically "really nothing".   
"What's all the commotion?" Nobiyuki said as he walked out onto the front lawn.   
"Oh me and Ryoko were having a private joke" Gary smiled.   
"So you're the beautiful lady I saw earlier," Nobiyuki grinned, kissing Ryoko's hand,  
forcing a giggle out of her.   
"Oh you're so forward" she smiled.   
"And you're the policeman then?"   
"No" Gary smiled "Executive investigator, Detective Sergeant is my comparative   
rank in the Police service."  
"So how did you guys end up here in the first place"   
"Well" Ryoko began.   
"I was heading past the planet on the way home," Gary added.  
"And I coming back from the local bar in this part of space" said   
Ryoko.   
"There was a slight misunderstanding"   
"We both crashed"  
"And fell to the ground"   
"And here we are" The pair both said at the  
same time, to the amusement of Nobiyuki.   
"Well we're very happy to have you if you need to stay for a while"   
"That would be very   
helpful" Gary nodded.   
"Oh thank you honorable man" Ryoko exclaimed hugging Nobiyuki.   
"Well no thank you young lady" blushed Nobiyuki as he returned the hug.   
"Dad!" Tenchi scorned as he walked outside.   
"What?" Nobiyuki said, "can't blame a man for trying"  
"Oh!" Ryoko shouted as she phased out, reappearing next to Tenchi   
"are you okay? You were out for hours!"   
"No thanks to you, I nearly died twice with you involved!"   
Ryoko smiled "oh those! I didn't mean to do that much harm!" she hugged him lovingly   
"from now on I'll keep a watchful eye on you".   
"Wow" Tenchi said quietly, not exactly in awe at the statement "really?"   
"Really. Oh you're so sweet and you feel just like a teddy bear!"   
"Don't tell me you like teddy bears?" Tenchi groaned.   
"You got it!" Ryoko giggled.   
"Don't worry Tenchi" Gary shouted, "you can trust her, she's true to her word!"  
  
Fin  
  



	2. Pt.2

***This Fanfic is written without the permission of both Pioneer and AIC but I'm not   
selling it so please do not sue me. Actually what you can do Pioneer and AIC is reopen   
sales of Tenchi in the UK (you know how much it costs to get the stuff from   
America!!!!!!!) PLEASE!!!! ***  
  
"Commence search" Ayeka commanded as she stood in front of her royal  
tree that was the heart of Ryo-oh, her ship.   
"Search underway Princess" said Azaka. There was a moment's pause   
as the search was underway, then an information window appeared   
in front of Ayeka.  
"Search complete" Kamidaki said.   
"And?" Ayeka asked impatiently.  
"The nearest planet which would be a suitable world for the key has  
been detected on Fringe planet no 53. Earth Princess"   
"Earth?" Ayeka blinked "well it is out of the way, set a course"   
"But Princess, that area is within the non-interference Zone agreed by the  
High Council of Jurai. To enter that would need confirmation  
with-"   
"We have no time for that, just make a course to that planet  
with all speed!" Ayeka snapped "and make sure we are not shadowed!"  
"Understood Princess," said both the guardians.   
"We must find them at all costs," Ayeka said to herself   
as she stepped backwards into the Cryo-sleep chamber, embedded in the Royal tree.  
"Cryo-sleep process commencing" Kamidaki said as the chamber frosted  
up. "ETA to destination 18hrs and counting down" Azaka added.  
  
****  
  
"Right come on now mate" Gary said to himself, picking up what   
remained of his Dim-e "work ya bastard!" he cursed as tried to fit   
them on only to find the metal fittings had fused together.   
"Buggeration!" he shouted in frustration, throwing them in his   
rucksack. He had made a visit to his ship, (or what was left of it   
after the collision with Ryo-Ohki) to see what he could salvage.  
All communication devices were blown apart from the emergency  
communication box, only to be used in severely dangerous situations.  
"Oh well" he smiled as he patted the small black box "Guess I'll be   
leaving for home soon". The smile developed into a laugh as he took  
his shoes off in the Misaki house vestibule, slipping on his comfy  
slippers.   
"Hey how's it going?" Tenchi said as Gary walked into the  
living room.   
"Just come back from the crash site" Gary said with a   
grin as he produced the black box to Tenchi.   
"Cool what is it?"   
"Its an emergency comms box" Gary said as he sat down at the table "or in  
other words my ticket out of here".   
"Cool, when are you gonna use it?"   
"Well may as well use it now" said Gary as he placed it in the  
middle of the table "Now we press this button here and....you  
beut!" said Gary with glee as a fuzzy display came up.   
"Now what do we do?"   
"Send a distress call to all ships within the box's radius".  
  
The Cryo-Sleep Chamber was opened and Ayeka slowly and gently awoke.  
"Princess Ayeka" Azaka began "we have detected an urgent distress  
call"   
"Distress call?" Ayeka blinked "quickly answer it!" A video  
screen appeared in front of the Princess.   
"This is Executive Investigator Thach calling on any ship within radius to answer this  
call"   
"DS Thach?" Ayeka said.   
"Pardon?" Gary said, the display now up and running   
"Who am I talking to?"   
"I am Ayeka, 1st Princess of the Royal House of Jurai and owner of the Royal ship Ryo-  
oh"   
"Princess it is an honor to be speaking to you"   
"Thank you Investigator, now what trouble are you in?" Ayeka smiled and nodded in   
appreciation.   
"Well Princess, my ship has crashed on this planet  
and I request transport to the nearest Galaxy Police precinct HQ"   
"Granted Investigator" Ayeka smiled.   
"Thank you Pri-" Gary said but was cut off Suddenly.   
"Hey what are you doing Ryo-ohki!" Gary shouted  
as a paw appeared in front of the camera.   
"Ryo-Ohki?" Blinked Ayeka  
"If Ryo-Ohki is there then that means..."   
"Whatcha doing Tenchi" said Ryoko as she appeared in front of the camera,  
tail knocking it off the table.   
"Knock it off Ryoko!" shouted Tenchi "I'm eating  
breakfast". After that the feed was cut off.  
  
Ayeka stood there in shock. Ryo-ohki and Ryoko there on that planet?  
Impossible!   
"We have no choice" Ayeka said to her Guardians   
"Executive Investigator Thach must have been taken hostage by Ryoko,  
it is our duty therefore to apprehend the criminals Ryoko and   
Ryo-ohki and try them under the law of Jurai!"   
"As you wish Princess" the Guardians chimed.   
"Then make all haste to Earth!"  
  
"Aww Ryoko!" Gary said glumly "you broke it!"   
"I didn't mean to!" Ryoko said "I thought I lost Tenchi-boy here for a second". She   
smiled as she hugged Tenchi's brains out.  
"Aggg" Tenchi muffled into Ryoko's shoulder "Okay hug time over,  
hug time over!"   
"Oh so soon?" Ryoko said sadly.   
"Yes so soon!" Tenchi nodded "I'm trying to eat breakfast!"   
"Well!" Ryoko grumped "you don't want to be around then that's fine!"   
"Hey Ryoko I don't think he meant that" said Gary as he rubbed his head.   
"I know exactly what he meant!" Ryoko turned away from Tenchi phasing  
through the outer-wall.   
"Oh Ryoko wait!" Tenchi shouted getting up and running out.   
"All I want to do is to be rescued!" Gary sighed, all alone.  
  
Ryoko was floating away as Tenchi ran outside.   
"Ryoko wait up!" Tenchi said.  
"What do you want?" Ryoko mumbled turning round.   
"I didn't mean offend you, I was just eating breakfast that's all."   
"That's okay, I just kinda went a bit overboard then" Ryoko smiled   
sheepishly.   
Tenchi smiled "Where are ya from?"   
"Well" Ryoko paused for a second "I wouldn't really like to go into that"   
"Painful?"  
"You could say that" said Ryoko as she sat down, looking down at the  
ground.   
"Oh" Tenchi nodded "Hey what's that fancy gem on your left arm?"   
"Oh this?" Ryoko said "this is what gives me my powers".  
"Really?" Tenchi said "all in that small little red gem?"   
"Yep" Ryoko nodded "but I only have one, there are three in all, I lost two when  
I last got captured"   
"When was that?"   
"Oh all of about 700 years ago"  
"What?" Tenchi gasped, "You are that old!"   
"What do ya mean that old?" Ryoko glared.   
"Oh nothing" Tenchi hehed nervously.   
"Well it is a bit strange" Ryoko said "me just arriving out of nowhere"   
"I get it now after I've realized what you are"   
"Huh?" Ryoko blinked.  
"As in not someone from the local funny farm"   
"So you don't mind me hugging you and watching over you and that stuff?" Ryoko asked   
with hope.  
"No I don't mind that at all" Tenchi sighed "Just don't do it   
while I'm eating".   
He gasped as Ryoko reappeared, her arms around him. "I'm so glad!" Ryoko giggled.   
Tenchi just sighed as he was hugged again.  
  
****  
  
"Entering Earth's orbit now Princess" Kamidaki said.   
"Good, prepare loudspeakers" Ayeka said.   
"Flying over target area in 10 seconds"  
Azaka said as Ryu-oh passed through the clouds of the upper   
atmosphere.  
  
Gary had done his house chores and was heading up those ancient  
steps once again, book in hand. "Lovely day" Gary smiled to himself  
as he turned onto one of the many hillside tracks. He stopped for a   
second to sample the air, the wildlife, and the natural fauna.   
Breathing in deeply.  
  
He opened his eyes and looked to the side as he head a twig snap.  
There he saw a small girl, dressed in a traditional dress, wearing  
a light red, summer coat, and a hood (which was connected to the   
coat) over her head. "Strange" he thought as the girl walked near him  
"that coats looks like something off-world"   
"Morning" Gary nodded "are you on your way to the shrine".   
"Shrine?" came a voice from under the hood "There's a shrine here?"   
"Yeah, the Misaki family shrine I think" Gary smiled,  
dropping to one knee "Say what's with the hood and coat on such a   
brilliant day as this"   
"Oh this?" the girl said, "I was wearing this when I got here".   
She flipped her hood up, her two, light blue pigtails falling down into place, her nice, young face exposed,  
the symbol of her status on Jurai on her forehead shining in the sunlight.   
"Oh?" Gary said suddenly "Are you?" The girl nodded with a giggle. "2nd   
Royal Princess of Jurai Sasami!"  
"Yep"  
"Wow" Gary said, kind of speechless, blinking for a second "Princess I apologize" he   
said as he bowed his head in respect and admiration "It is an honor to be in your presence".  
Sasami giggled, "I'm here with my sister, she said it   
would be a very nice planet" she looked out over the valley "and   
she's right it looks fantastic"   
"Well Summer and autumn are the best times of year to visit this place I hear"  
Gary smiled "pray tell me, do you know where your elder sister is?"  
"Ayeka?" Sasami said, "She's with her royal guardians in Ryo-oh!" She pointed to the   
massive ship floating above the area.   
"Oh Christ!" Gary said in shock, quickly picking Sasami up (much to her amusement)   
"Come on Princess, we're going for a very fast piggy back ride!" Sasami's  
giggles could be heard all the way down as Gary ran down the steps.  
  
"Ryoko I know you're in there!" Ayeka said as her voice reverberated  
around the countryside.   
"What?" Ryoko said as her head phased through  
the roof "She's here!" Ryoko fell back through the roof. "That's  
was who Gary was talking to this morning!" she said to herself "He   
must've tipped her off!"   
"What?" Tenchi said as he looked outside "What's happening?"   
"I've been busted, we need to get out of here!"  
"We?" Tenchi blinked "What's with the 'we' stuff?"   
"Listen for a moment!" Ryoko snapped, "the other two gems are on this planet"  
"Well I was going to tell you that we have two gems here in the   
shrine, all part of a legend"   
"Legend" Ryoko gasped, grabbing Tenchi.  
"What legend tell me!"   
"Well there was this very large, fearsome monster that came down from the heavens.   
It wreaked havoc among the people of the land, destroying lots of things.   
Then a great army from the sky appeared and captured the monster."   
"And did I leave anything?"   
"That was you? 700 years ago?"   
"Just answer the question."  
"Oh the legend says that this great army slew your arms off,   
releasing your life source to the Earth. It came in the form of two  
gems and..."   
"And?"   
"Well they're held with the Misaki family sword  
in the Shrine's cave"   
"Excellent Tenchi!" Ryoko smiled, kissing  
him on the cheek   
"common we need to get to the cave!"  
"Oh no that's where we stop!" Tenchi cried   
"Grandfather has told me never to go in there!"   
"So? this is a matter of life and death!"   
"Wha-what do you mean?" Tenchi asked slowly.  
"That woman up there in the ship, she's an ogre, she's worse than an ogre in fact,   
she's like the devil, yeah that sounds good the devil!"   
"Oh well couldn't we talk to her"   
"No she shoots first, and asks questions later"  
"Now that reminds me of someone" Tenchi glared at Ryoko.   
"Oh common if we're going to the cave then lets go!" said Ryoko as she grabbed onto   
Tenchi "hold  
on" she smiled as they phased through the wall.  
  
Just as Tenchi and Ryoko left the room, Gary and Sasami burst in   
through the door on the opposite end of the room. Gary collapsed,  
gulping in air like it was going out of fashion. "Yay!" Sasami  
cheered, "go Gary lets do that again!"   
"No please" gasped Gary "no more!"   
"Oh where are your friends Gary?" Sasami said as she looked  
around.   
"They were here, they must be somewhere round here!" Gary   
panted as he got up.   
  
"Princess, two humanoids have exited the building" Azaka said.   
"Zoom in, who are they?" Ayeka commanded.   
"They are Ryoko and a slim, young, male"   
"That must be them!" Ayeka said to herself   
"Ryoko give yourself up now!" she said though the loudspeaker channel.   
"No way!" came the reply "I've already had enough crap from you people" Ryoko   
shouted,  
much to Tenchi's alarm.   
"Fine" Ayeka said, "open fire!"  
  
Ryu-oh let forth a fierce barrage, tracking Ryoko and Tenchi as they  
made their way up the hill.  
  
"Why me dammit!" Tenchi shouted as the lasers blew up chunks of land  
around them "Why meeeeeee!"   
"Oh put a sock in it" said Ryoko as she  
dodged and weaved the laser blasts.  
  
"Princess" Kamidaki began "we have detected three powerful sources  
of energy in a cave near a Shine building"   
"They are?"   
"Two ancient power gems and what appears to be the master key Princess"  
"So that's what she's up to!" Ayeka snarled "Getting her gems back and stealing  
the most treasured item in Jurain heritage". She stepped off the   
platform "Not if I have anything to do with it".  
  
"This way?" Ryoko asked as she dragged Tenchi up the tree-lined  
path.   
"Yes, yes!" Tenchi shouted, "Why did you have to say that?"   
"Well its the truth!"  
Ryoko smiled.   
"But it wasn't the right thing to say in the situation!" Tenchi protested.   
"Shh here we are!" Ryoko smiled as they rushed at full speed into the cave,   
heading into the murky depths.  
  
"Can't your sister just stop and talk to me before she goes off   
re-landscaping the local countryside!" Gary said as he ran along,  
jumping over the massive craters left by Ayeka's barrage.   
"I can't do anything its her mission" Sasami giggled as she sat on Gary's  
shoulders  
"Mission?"   
"Since the master key disappeared over 700 years ago"   
"So you're?"   
"Yep over 700 years old" Sasami smiled.   
"Wait the master key as in the tool used to control all of Jurai's ships?"  
"Uh-huh"  
"What happened to it?"  
"It was lost in a great battle between Jurai and a famous space criminal, also Ayeka's   
half-brother disappeared after the battle"  
"So?" Gary panted as he leapt over another crater.  
"So Ayeka went out to find her half-brother and the master key" Sasami finished.  
"Bloody hell! We need to get there in time!"   
Gary said, sprinting now back up the hill.   
"Why?" Sasami said "is there something wrong?"   
"Lets just say that Ryoko and Ayeka have a long running rivalry"  
  
****  
  
"So this is the artifact room?" Ryoko murmured, looking around  
at the rocky interior "sure is dark."   
"Yes, the sword is kept in the specially made box there and the gems   
are held in that case specially made of gold and sapphire," said Tenchi   
as he pointed out the two in the darkness.   
"Well thank you Tenchi, excuse me now while I reform the gems into my body"   
Ryoko smiled as she moved her arms towards the case. Ryoko gasped as they hit  
an invisible force field, having to draw her hands back in pain and surprise.  
  
"I knew you'd go for your gems criminal!" said a voice coming from  
the other end of the room. Suddenly all the torches in the room   
(which were out before) spluttered into light, revealing Princess  
Ayeka, flanked by her guardians.   
"Wha-" Ryoko began, and then stopped as she saw logs appear around her.  
"The logs" Ryoko murmured.  
"Its over Ryoko" said Ayeka, her eyes narrowing.   
As Ayeka said that, the logs sent forth their binds,  
wrapping themselves around Ryoko before she could do anything.  
"Azaka! Kamidaki! Hold her there!" commanded Ayeka as she turned  
to Tenchi.   
"Uh let me go you bitch!" Ryoko struggled.   
"Boy" Ayeka said, ignoring Ryoko's cries, "tell me why have you got three of the  
most powerful items in the Universe?"   
"They are?" Tenchi blinked "I mean I knew the gems were special but I   
never knew that the sword had anything to do with anything"   
"You have the sword?"   
"Yes it's over ther-"   
"I must have it!" Ayeka said, "It is a lost artifact  
of the Planet of Jurai"   
"Huh?" Tenchi blinked "now I've heard everything!".   
"Hand it back to me or you will be arrested along with your monster woman" Ayeka said   
firmly.   
"But that sword has been in my family for 7 generations!" pleaded Tenchi "and  
she's not my woman!"  
"7 generations?"  
"Yes a man called Yosho or something came from the sky with it and its been here ever   
since"  
"What?" Ayeka blinked "and what happened to Yosho"  
"I don't know!" Tenchi said.  
"You tell me now!" Ayeka said "I must know!"  
"I'm telling you I don't know"   
"Very well" Ayeka said "Azaka!"   
"Yes ma'am" said the Guardian as it moved towards Tenchi. Just then Gary and   
Sasami fell through the door, Gary out of breath (again).   
"Investigator!" Ayeka said, surprised "what are you doing here?"  
"Here to stop you from making a terrible mistake!" he said, looking  
up "agg! No call your Guardian off!" he cried as Azaka closed in on   
Tenchi.   
"Yes stop!" shouted Tenchi, covering his face. Suddenly  
the Sword box exploded in a flash of light, and in front of Tenchi,  
appeared the master key, floating in mid air.   
  
Azaka then suddenly stopped for no reason.   
"Azaka! Capture him! Answer me!" shouted Ayeka   
"What?" she gasped, "the key responds to his commands! Intentional or non-intentional!"   
Ayeka paused for a second "then that means that" she shook her head in disbelief "No,   
impossible!"  
she looked over at where Ryoko should have been "ohhhh! Where's she gone!" she   
fumed.   
"Princess listen" Gary said, "Ryoko isn't a criminal anymore"   
"What? I can't believe I am hearing this!" cried Ayeka.   
"I'm being serious!" Gary said quietly.   
"That beast should be taken back to the isolation chamber where she belongs!" Ayeka   
said "and what exactly were you doing in those 5 months?"  
"Don't ask" was all that Gary said.  
"Erm excuse me?" Tenchi said "what's this?" he asked pointing  
to the glowing sword.   
"Oh" Ayeka said softly "That is the Master key, what is your name boy?"   
"Tenchi ma'am, Tenchi Misaki"   
"If you can control the sword then, you have the blood of Jurai flowing  
inside of you"   
"What so that's the master key?" Gary asked.   
"Yes, this key was taken from my people over 700 years ago along with my half-brother   
Yosho, I vowed to   
find Yosho and the master key and return it to my people and have been looking ever   
since with my   
sister Sasami" Ayeka explained.   
"Yosho disappeared after the battle of Hangara over 700 ye-" Gary started.  
"But how did it get here?" Ayeka asked.   
"Its in the legend, the leader of the army from heaven had  
a powerful sword that could cut through rock"  
"That was Yosho, my brother"  
"But I do not know what happened to Yosho, all I know is that he arrived here 700 years   
ago with the sword"  
"The master key!" Gary exclaimed "along with Ryoko's gems!".   
"I've got to find Ryoko and get some answers" said Ayeka, wiping a tear away.  
"No Princess I need to sort this out, please just calm down for a moment"  
Ayeka said quietly "Back off Investigator".  
With that she turned to her Guardians "Azaka Kamidaki, return me to my ship, we're   
going to find Ryoko" Before Gary could do anything Ayeka disappeared as she   
transported herself to her ship.   
Gary turned to Tenchi "try to turn that Sword off while I get Sasami to safety!" he picked  
Sasami up again "common you" he smiled.   
"Yay!" Sasami giggled as she was carried out.  
  
**** "Common Ryo-Ohki!" Ryoko said "we're leaving this place now   
before that Ayeka knows what happened!" She looked down at a photo of   
Tenchi with her that was taken the day before and smiled. "Thank  
you Tenchi" she said quietly.   
Ryo-ohki meowed sexily.   
"Oh be quiet you!" Ryoko said "I like him as a friend!"   
Ryo-ohki meowed again.  
"Yes I'm sure and no you can't read my mind!"   
  
Suddenly Ryo-ohki shuddered violently. "What the!" Ryoko said looking  
up at the vid screen.   
"Ryoko you can't escape this time, I have you in my sights!"   
Ayeka said.   
"Damn you!" Ryoko cursed, "You just won't quit will you!"   
"Not until you answer this question!" Ayeka said as her eyes narrowed   
"What happened to my Brother Yosho?"   
"I don't know little girl!" Ryoko said, "How should I know?"   
"Because he was the man who defeated you and imprisoned you!"   
Ayeka glared.   
"Oh was he now." Ryoko said sarcastically "oh NOW I remember what happened!"   
"Well?" Ayeka shouted, hands shaking.  
  
"Oh its gone again!" Ryoko said teasingly "Guess you'll never know"  
Ayeka clasped her hands so tightly, a small droplet of blood appeared out of her palm.  
"That's enough!" she shouted in rage "Azaka, Kamidaki...full speed ahead"  
  
Ryoko blinked as she saw Ryu-oh speed up towards her.  
"Ah I know what's she's up to" Ryoko grinned "Ryo-ohki"  
"Miya?" a crystal with Ryo-ohki's face on it asked.  
"Ramming speed" Ryoko said coldly.  
  
The two ships headed right at each other at the highest speeds they could muster. Both of   
their owners   
staring right at each other through their holo-screens, neither giving way, neither showing   
any quarter.  
Then the ships hit. Both Ayeka and Ryoko grimaced and held onto something for the   
expected stomach churning impact, splinters   
that would go everywhere and the possible decompression of the main areas.  
  
All they got was a slightly rough bump.  
  
"What?" Ayeka and Ryoko both blinked as they looked around. Everything was in its   
proper place on both ships. They then quickly   
switched to outside monitors.  
"I knew it!" Ryoko cursed.  
"Oh this is just brilliant!" Ayeka glared.  
By some massive fluke, the two ships had found a way to exactly slot into each other,   
wedging themselves into each other without   
doing any significant damage to the other.  
"I can't move!" Ayeka said, trying reverse power, to no avail.  
"Same here" Ryoko sighed. She looked at the Crystal.  
"I knew you'd pull a stunt like this"  
"Miiiiiiiya!" laughed the Cabbit.  
  
"Ships identify yourselves" came a new voice over the communications net that Ayeka   
and Ryoko shared.  
"I am First Princess Ayeka of Jurai" Ayeka said as she looked at the new face "We have   
been in a crash officer".  
"I am Ryoko, the space pir - ahem I mean trader" Smiled Ryoko.  
"Oh you've been in a crash!" said the Galaxy policeman "I am 1st class detective   
Mihoshi, the officer patrolling this precinct"  
"Can you assist us?" Ayeka and Ryoko both said at once.  
"Well I will have to be quick, I was on my way to assist another law enforcement officer   
stranded on this planet" Mihoshi explained.  
"That was the same assistance call I received" Ayeka said.  
"Well its time to get us dislodged Officer" Ryoko smiled as she sat back.  
  
****   
"Sasami" Tenchi said, "I never knew you were such a good cook"  
"Yeah!" Ryoko cheered "Rubadubdub thanks for the grub!"   
Sasami blushed at the praise she got.   
"Well now" Katoshito said as he eat "I guess we have three new people who are coming   
to stay"   
"Yes" Princess Ayeka said "I thank you Mihoshi for being a fine, responsible Galaxy   
Police officer.  
"Why thank you" Mihoshi blushed, "I wouldn't have come by if it wasn't for Investigator   
Thatch's call here"   
"Oh well I needed to get a message off to the Law committee" Gary nodded "I add my   
praise to you Mihoshi"  
"Wow thank you!" giggled Mihoshi "If I may say so, my grandfather speaks very highly   
of you"   
"You're grandfather?" Gary said, raising an eyebrow.   
"Yeah my Grandfather, the Marshal"   
"Y-you're granddad is the Marshal of the Galaxy Police?"   
"Yes that's what I just said wasn't it" Mihoshi threw a blank stare into   
nothingness "wasn't it?...I'm all confused now!"   
"Well at least nobody was hurt in the crash" Nobiyuki changed the subject as he drank   
some tea.   
"Yeah" Tenchi said as he got up "Well thanks for the dinner Sasami, I think  
I'll go to bed, I've had too much excitement for one day"   
"Goodnight Tenchi" Ryoko smiled, winking over at Tenchi which made him nervous.  
"I'll be making my way back to the shrine," Katoshito said as he got  
up.   
"Seeing as everyone has finished I'll help Sasami with the   
washing up." Smiled Gary.  
  
Soon everyone left the table, leaving two people. Ayeka and Ryoko.  
They were silent as they finished their cups of tea.   
"You never did answer my question Ryoko" Ayeka said.   
"What about what happened to your Brother?" Ryoko said.   
Ayeka looked over and said nothing.  
Ryoko sighed "I don't know Ayeka, he got me and that was that for 700  
years".  
  
Ayeka said nothing and got up. "I wouldn't worry, he's probably  
dead now anyway"   
"That's not true" Ayeka murmured, "he's got to be   
alive, he can't be dead!"   
Ryoko just shrugged and finished her Sake.  
  
"Sir" Mihoshi called in through the kitchen.  
"What did you call me?" Gary asked with a laugh then he knocked his head "Oh of   
course, I've been here too long"  
"Should I call you sir...sir?" Mihoshi asked nervously.  
"Nah, well not right now" Gary said "We're off duty right?"  
Mihoshi nodded.  
"Then you can call me Gary" he grinned as he put out a hand. Mihoshi took it and shook   
it firmly.  
"Great thank you Gary" Mihoshi smiled sweetly.  
"Now what did you have to tell me?"  
"Well I should be making a report to Headquarters any time now" Mihoshi explained "do   
you want me to mention you?"   
"Well I am a higher ranking officer detective" smiled Gary proudly.  
"Well I'll get the a communications link set up with Yukinojo via my watch" winked   
Mihoshi.  
Sasami watched as Mihoshi worked her magic.  
  
"At last!" Mihoshi said with a sigh of relief "I thought it was broken for a moment"  
"Now we can get our report sent out" Gary said as Mihoshi pressed the   
flashing light.  
When she pressed down on the watch a small screen flicked up facing Mihoshi.  
  
"Detective Mihoshi!" shouted the figure in GP uniform "where have you been?"  
Mihoshi smartly came to attention and saluted, despite the fact that she didn't have her   
uniform on.  
"I 1st class detective Mihoshi communicating on fringe planet no.53 sir" Mihoshi said   
professionally.  
"Well that explains your absence" the commander said, calmer now, he looked over   
Mihoshi's shoulder to see Gary finishing his tea.  
"Investigator?" the Commander said in alarm "Detective sergeant?"  
"Oh!" Gary said, caught off guard "Yes sir Executive Investigator Thach has been   
marooned on this planet, though I have managed to send an emergency message off to   
Committee HQ"  
"Well we've got a message for you Investigator" the commander said as he read out a   
sheet of paper "from the Chairman of the committee himself"  
"Yes?"  
"Following your successful peaceful ending to the Ryoko problem, the   
Committee has decided to reward you with..."  
"Yes sir" said Gary, flooded with visions of a new cushy chair or a 50% pay increase   
maybe even a fancy title to go along with his new job.   
Nah the chair looked much more attractive.  
"With a reassignment of command of the Fringe Sector, duties mainly lying with Sol" the   
commander finished.  
Gary's mouth went wide "Any increases in pay, benefits, anything?"  
"None that I've been informed of, no" the Commander said "The officer that will   
be assigned to serve under your command you will be Detective 1st class Mihoshi"  
"Not even a new Leather chair?" Gary pleaded.  
"Don't be so vain investigator!" barked the commander "Signing off".   
The screen went dead as the transmission ended.  
"Wow!" smiled Mihoshi "hear that Gary we're partners now!"  
Gary sadly was on the floor, fainted.  
  
"Poor Gary" said Sasami as she waved a fan over Gary's face "this feels very familiar"   
she thought to herself.  
"All I wanted was a new chair, just a new bloody leather chair" Gary whimpered.  
"Well...um" Mihoshi thought, putting a hand on Gary's shoulder "You've got me for   
company so keep a smile up!"  
Gary nodded with a smile "We've got Yukinojo to keep us up to date with what's   
happening so now we can enjoy our holiday"  
"Vacation" corrected Mihoshi warily.  
"Yeah whatever" Muttered Gary.  
  
Fin  
  
  
  



	3. Pt.3

***This Fanfic is written without the permission of both Pioneer and AIC but I'm not   
selling it so please do not sue me. Actually what you can do Pioneer and AIC is reopen   
sales of Tenchi in the UK (you know how much it costs to get the stuff from   
America!!!!!!!) PLEASE!!!! ***  
  
The day (for once) was sunny. Princess Ayeka had taken more time to get used to the   
new conditions.  
Sasami however, had fitted right in, mostly cooking and doing her part of the chores.  
Ryoko had kept her cool through the week, trying a variety of tricks to get her hands on   
her gems, mainly though being thwarted by Katoshito.  
Gary had ignored mainly what had gone on and just got on with his chores, having really   
given up any   
hope of getting that fancy leather chair he wanted.  
Mihoshi, (also now stationed on earth) joined Gary in doing their share of the chores,   
ignoring Ryoko and Ayeka.  
And Tenchi?  
He was kind of getting along well, trying to handle the attentions of two very attractive   
women of course is a 24-hour job.  
  
"So" Gary said as he pilled another load of leaves into a bin bag "we're stationed here   
now?"  
"Yep" said Mihoshi as she swept up the Shrine's courtyard "but its not so bad I mean look   
at this place"  
"What about it?" asked Gary as he looked out over the rolling landscape.  
"Well its nice and peaceful and wouldn't you want vacation for once?" Smiled Mihoshi as   
she piled up some   
more leaves.  
Not a second had gone before explosions were heard some way down the steps.  
"Help!" cried a voice that sounded like Tenchi.  
"Tenchi!" came another voice "Come back I wasn't having a go at you"  
"You leave Tenchi alone you!" cried out yet another voice.  
"Yes" blinked Gary "quite"  
Suddenly Tenchi came sprinting up the stairs.   
"They've got it in for me!" he shouted in panic "they've both go it in for me!"  
"What?" Mihoshi blinked "who?"  
"Them" Gary grinned as he pointed to Ayeka and Ryoko fuming at the top of the stairs.  
  
"Now look what you've done" Ayeka shouted "You scared him half to death!"  
"Me!?!" Ryoko glared back "You scared the crap out of him by encasing him in that force   
field to stop yours truly from   
showing my affection"  
"What?" shrieked Ayeka "how dare you!"  
"Oh yes how dare I!" said Ryoko sarcastically.  
Ayeka was straining in anger, clutching her fists. Suddenly logs started to come out of   
nowhere.  
"I've had enough!"  
"Same here sister!" said Ryoko through narrow eyes, forming her energy sword "Bring it   
on!"  
  
Gary and Mihoshi stepped in.  
"Alright ladies break it up ladies, lets not aggravate the situation" said Gary grabbing   
Ryoko and holding her back.  
"Yeah I mean Tenchi wouldn't want you two wreaking the Shrine would he?" pleaded   
Mihoshi to Ayeka.  
They both looked to Tenchi, looking very alarmed behind Gary.  
"I'm sorry Lord Tenchi" said Ayeka quietly.  
"Me too" added Ryoko "I'm sorry."  
"Now you two please can you calm down!" Mihoshi said "at least don't go to violence   
EVERY time you argue!"  
  
"That was your fault that was" muttered Ayeka.  
"Yeah right, you started it!" said Ryoko quietly as they walked back down the stairs.  
"Ohhhh I don't have time for this!" seethed Ayeka as she walked off onto one of the   
sidetracks   
that interlink with the ancient steps.  
Ryoko blew a raspberry as she phased out to go somewhere else.  
  
"You okay Tenchi?" Gary asked "you kinda got a bit mixed up back there"  
"They can be such a handful!" Tenchi said "First I'm sweeping the steps, next I'm being   
hugged manically by Ryoko  
then I'm elevated into the air in a force field thingy thanks to Ayeka, finally falling to the   
ground as Ayeka   
argued with Ryoko!"  
"Wow" smiled Mihoshi "they kinda go overboard over you"  
"Now that's an understatement" said Gary "common lets get these leaves back home to   
use for compost"  
"Okay seeya later Tenchi" waved Mihoshi as she picked up a couple of bin bags.  
"You sure you're alright with that?" Tenchi said as he picked up the broom he dropped   
earlier.  
"Yeah I'll be okay" Mihoshi smiled "thanks for asking though".  
  
****  
  
"Pass the salt Ryo-ohki!" chimed Sasami as she stirred away at her cooking, looking out   
the window with a smile.   
Ryoko's head popped down in front of Sasami.  
"Oh Ryoko how are you today? greeted Sasami with a smile.  
"Is that lunch I smell" winked Ryoko.  
"Uh-huh" nodded Sasami as she poured a tablespoon of soy sauce into her heavenly   
food.  
"Wow when's it ready?"  
"Any time now" Sasami said as she finished the food, cutting the gas flow "say do you   
want to take this to Tenchi for me?"  
Ryoko's eyes lit up "Really?"  
"Yes I'd be really grateful" smiled Sasami as she filled the special food containers and   
handed them over to   
Ryoko "Here you go."  
"Oh thank you" giggled Ryoko as she phased out into nothing.  
"Sasami?" Ayeka said as she walked in "Who was that you were talking to?"  
"Oh nobody" said Sasami eyes flittering up into the sky.  
"Is lunch ready?" asked Ayeka with a hungry smile.  
"Yep" smiled Sasami "I'm going to take this to Tenchi, he must be hungry now" she held   
up another food container   
"Hmmm" smiled Ayeka "How about I take that to Tenchi for you little sister?"  
"Oh really?" said Sasami "I'd be very grateful"  
"Oh its no trouble" Ayeka smiled as she skipped out.  
  
As Ayeka ran out, Gary and Mihoshi approached the house.  
"Nearly there Mihoshi" Gary said as he lugged his bin bags.  
"Great!" Mihoshi smiled as they neared the Greenhouse.  
Gary pushed the door open and walked in, putting his bags in the center of the   
greenhouse   
"Right pass me your bags and I'll dump them on the other ones"  
"Okay" nodded Mihoshi as she entered the Greenhouse. Suddenly as she went through   
the doorway, Mihoshi tripped  
on the raised step.  
"Ahh" squealed Mihoshi as she dropped her bags falling forward.  
"Hey watch yourself!" Gary said as he rushed forward, catching Mihoshi in his arms.   
Suddenly they looked up into  
each other's eyes for a second.  
"Oh" Mihoshi said quietly. They stayed in that position for a moment.  
"Oops!" Gary blushed as he helped Mihoshi up onto her feet.  
"Erm, sorry 'bout that Gary" Mihoshi said, blushing herself.  
"Lets just get these leaves in the compost heap okay?" Gary said with a wink.   
Mihoshi just smiled sweetly with a nod.  
  
"Oh Tenchi!" Ryoko shouted sweetly as she entered the courtyard from one end.  
"Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka shouted with a smile as she entered the courtyard from the other   
end.  
"Err what do you two want now?" Tenchi asked nervously.  
"I've got your lunch!" the girls both said in unison. As soon as the words left their mouths   
they quickly glared   
at each other.  
"What?" said Ryoko "how dare you steal my idea"  
"Your idea!" Ayeka "I'll have you know I'm doing a favor for my dear little sister"  
"Oh yeah well I'm also running an errand for Sasami" Ryoko said.  
Ryoko and Ayeka blinked when they realized the practical joke that they both   
unknowingly talked themselves into and sighed.  
"Well if you want I'll have both of your lunches if you don't mind" Tenchi smiled   
hungrily "I'm famished!".  
As soon as Tenchi said that the girls were practically climbing over each other to be the   
first to get to give Tenchi lunch.  
"Oh well" sighed Tenchi.  
"Hmm those young ladies are very enthusiastic" Katoshito smiled as he walked into the   
Shrine "Don't forget training this  
afternoon"  
"Don't worry Grandpa" Tenchi nodded "I'll finish washing the Shrine steps after Lunch".  
  
****  
  
"Nice lunch Sasami" Mihoshi smiled as she eat some rice.  
"Indeed!" nodded Gary "How do you do it Sasami?"  
"Well" Sasami blushed "I would tell ya but it is a bit of a 'trade secret'"  
"Where's Ayeka, Ryoko and Tenchi?" Mihoshi asked.  
"Oh them?" Sasami said with a giggle "they decided to have lunch at the shrine"  
"Well at least the girls aren't causing Armageddon over Tenchi right now" said Gary with   
a smirk.  
  
"I'm glad you like your lunch Tenchi" smiled Ayeka sweetly. Ryoko was behind Ayeka   
silently pretending to choke violently.   
Ayeka frowned when she sensed the mocking "Thank you for ignoring that idiotic cretin   
Lord Tenchi" Ayeka smiled, eyes   
looking up "1...2...3" she counted in her head.  
"Hey what was that!" asked an annoyed Ryoko.  
"Oh did I say something Tenchi?" Ayeka giggled.   
Tenchi just sighed.  
"Oh Tenchi you wouldn't lie to me would you?" Ryoko said romantically as she phased   
next to him, shooting a "beat that" look  
at Ayeka who was quietly fuming behind her brick wall like composure (that always   
seemed to be up whenever she was facing   
Tenchi).  
"Oh Tenchi wouldn't have to lie to a monster like you" said Ayeka as she pulled him   
towards her.  
"Nor would Tenchi have to lie to a spoilt little brat like you!" Ryoko spat back, pulling   
Tenchi away from Ayeka.  
"Tell me that when you're not trying to kill him 24/7 with your 'teasing'" Ayeka smiled.  
"Princess" Ryoko asked "is it your hobby asking for your face to be smashed in?"  
"Just you try Ryoko" glared Ayeka.  
"Wow that's it!" Tenchi said, standing in between the girls "the party stops here, you both   
go your separate ways now!"  
"But Tenchi" Ryoko grinned "you know you want to be together with me!"  
"Umm" Tenchi mumbled.  
"What was that?" Ryoko grinned as she leaned her head up against his "did I hear a yes?"  
"No you didn't!" Ayeka fumed as she yanked Tenchi away from Ryoko "would he go   
with gutter rubbish like you? I don't  
think so!"  
"Why you little!" seethed Ryoko as she crackled with energy.  
"Ladies!" Katoshito said firmly from above "You do not fight in the shrine understand?"  
Ayeka looked up to acknowledge the wise mans words. However she saw a much more   
disturbing picture, for through the   
flash of the sun reflecting off his glasses she saw...red eye?  
"Yes sir" Ryoko muttered "seeya later Tenchi" she said as she drifted off into the air.   
Ayeka however still stared upwards.  
"Lady Ayeka" Katoshito asked "is there a reason why you're staring at me?"  
"Oh its nothing really?" Ayeka looked away nervously.  
"You haven't got the hots for such an old man like me have you?"  
"Oh you pervert!" gasped Ayeka, walking away in embarrassment.  
"Grandpa!" Tenchi moaned "Why did you go and do that?"  
"Well they were tiring you out weren't they?" said Katoshito with a smile, patting   
Tenchi's shoulder "Lets go train".  
"Yeah" nodded Tenchi "lets"  
  
"Oh Grandfather you're so rude!" said Ayeka as she turned back to face the pair "huh?"   
she blinked "where did they go?"  
  
****  
  
"Oh it feels so much better to drink and be alone for once" said Ryoko to herself as she   
drunk some Sake against one of the   
many tree trunks. Suddenly she heard some footsteps coming round the corner of the   
path, phasing into the bush, she watched   
as Katoshito and Tenchi walked into the clearing.  
  
"This is a good place to start as any" Katoshito said as he opened his bag, taking out two   
wooden swords and two pairs of   
white gloves.  
"Yeah, how far did we get in the routine last time Grandpa?" Tenchi asked.  
"Routine?" Ryoko thought "sounds familiar"  
"Oh about the 27th movement" Katoshito said as he donned his gloves.  
Ryoko blinked.  
"Ready?" Katoshito said as they rested their blades on each other's shoulders.  
Tenchi nodded.  
"Go!" Katoshito shouted.  
The following movements shocked Ryoko "But those movements" she murmured.  
"are from the Imperial family of Jurai" whispered Ayeka as she watched "my family."  
"So you've found your answer?" Ryoko asked with a smile.  
"I don't know" Ayeka said, looking down at the floor.  
"Chin up" said Ryoko handing Ayeka a cup and a bottle of Sake "take a seat and enjoy   
the show"  
"So we can make peace then?" smiled Ayeka as she sat down and took a gulp of Sake.  
"Hey its rivalry nothing more" Ryoko winked "we just work each other up that's all"  
"I understand" nodded Ayeka as she downed some more Sake.  
"Wow you really get that stuff down ya throat!" Giggled Ryoko.  
"I'm not as inexperienced as you may thing Ryoko" smiled Ayeka darkly.  
  
Out of the evening sky suddenly though came a streak, lighting the sky up as it blasted   
through the atmosphere at lightning speed.  
"What was tha-OUCH!" said Tenchi just before Katoshito hit him over the head.  
"Tenchi-boy!" said Katoshito "We got to movement 30"  
"Hic!" blew Ayeka from a bush.  
"Now you've blown it" Ryoko mumbled.  
Before Tenchi could ask them why they were hiding in the bush an almighty crash was   
heard nearby.  
  
"My" Mihoshi said as she looked at her watch, which was flashing "I'm receiving a   
distress call!"  
"Where from?" Gary asked as he looked at the watch. The house was bathed in light as   
the object flew down from the sky.  
"Jesus!" said Gary look up through the window of the house "What was that?"  
"I don't have clue" Mihoshi said as she got back up from under the table.  
"Maybe it's a meteorite?" Sasami offered as she picked Ryo-ohki up "What do you   
think?"  
Ryo-ohki growled softly and jumped down.  
"That didn't sound good" Gary blinked as he watched Ryo-ohki run out of the door.  
"Sasami maybe you should stay indoors" Mihoshi said nervously "Gary are we gonna go   
and see what it is?"  
"We might as well" Gary shrugged "We're the only coppers in an area twice the size of a   
normal precinct"  
Mihoshi nodded and smiled at Sasami.  
"You'll take care of yourselves right?" Sasami asked.  
"Of course we will" Gary grinned "We better catch up with Ryo-ohki" he said to   
Mihoshi.  
"Right" nodded Mihoshi as they ran outside to catch up with Ryo-ohki.   
  
Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka however had already found the massive ship, whose top, rose   
above the tallest tree tops.  
"It looks big" Ayeka said as she peered up through the smoke and the steam.  
"One big spaceship" Tenchi said, staring down.  
Ryoko was silent as she looked at the ship.  
"You okay Ryoko?" Tenchi asked.  
"Oh its nothing" Ryoko said rubbing her head "it's a Intergalactic Space Tech shuttle   
mk.12".  
Mihoshi and Gary arrived with Ryo-ohki a moment later.  
"What's happened?" Gary asked as he looked around "strewth!" he exclaimed quietly   
"This place won't have any trees left at this rate!"  
"That's crashed" Tenchi said pointing to the large ship that Ryoko stared at. The color of   
the structure changed every   
second.   
Ryo-ohki crawled right up against   
it, staring at his own reflection.  
"What's she doing?" Mihoshi asked as they all watched the Cabbit  
"Beats me" murmured Ryoko as she watched the creature intently.   
The hexagon turned red suddenly and the side that was facing Ryo-ohki expanded and   
within a blink of a eye, Ryo-ohki was absorbed into the structure.  
"Oh my god!" Mihoshi squealed as she tried to run to the structure "Ryo-ohki come   
back!".   
"Hey calm down" Gary as he grabbed Mihoshi, looking at the structure "wait a second   
there's a logo on one of the sides"  
"Its a scarlet red crab" Ayeka said "What does that mean"  
Out of the structure appeared a small little girl, with long red hair falling down to her   
ankles set behind her. In her arms was a happy, purring Ryo-ohki.  
"Who are you?" Tenchi asked.  
"Her clothes are old" Mihoshi noted "very old"  
"I am Washu!" said the girl sternly "Little Washu to be exact"  
"Who is this again?" Ryoko said, looking down.  
"Only your gentle caring mother, little Ryoko" said Washu in Ryoko's mind, as she   
stared up sweetly.  
Ryoko was shocked, stepping back a step or two.  
Washu smiled as she petted the content Cabbit.  
"Those voices in my mind" Ryoko said quietly in Washu's head "they were from you?"  
Washu nodded.  
"How did you know about Tenchi and me?" Ryoko shouted in Washu's mind.  
"Ryoko?" asked Ayeka.  
"Hey that's no tone to talk to your mother!" Washu said sternly in Ryoko's head.  
"How did you get here?" Mihoshi asked "Why the sudden entrance?"  
"Well I have been on the run for the last five or six millennia since I had to abandon   
my ship" Washu explained.  
"Soja?" Gary asked.  
"Yes you know about it as well?" Washu said cautiously   
"Do I?" Gary shouted "its been zipping in and out of colonized space for about 5   
millennia as well, destroying everything in its path!"  
"No crew?" Ayeka asked.  
"Nope all done by a highly developed AI system" Gary said as he pointed at Washu "and   
she's the one responsible!"  
"Me!?!" Washu shouted "I didn't exactly wake up that morning thinking 'hmm lets see   
which system shall I obliterate today?' No way sir!"  
"Then what are you doing here?" Tenchi asked.  
"I've been running from that dammed Soja since I managed to escape" Washu shrugged.  
"Running?" Tenchi asked skeptically.  
"Yeah"  
"What from a computer?"  
"Yes dammit!" Washu snapped suddenly. You have to believe me, the more time I waste   
talking to you people, the less chance I have of defeating this…this thing"  
  
"I don't believe you" Ryoko glared in Washu's mind "that you're my Mom or this stupid   
super ship story"  
"All of you better believe it!" Washu shouted "because it is heading here, and nothing   
can stop it!"  
  
****  
  
After Tenchi had managed to get Washu calmed down, Sasami arrived to tell everyone   
dinner was ready,   
noticing that there was a newcomer she was only too happy to cook for an extra person.  
  
After dinner (which was very tasty), the night drew in, so much that most of the people in   
the house decided to withdraw to bed. Washu however rushed off somewhere.  
  
"Are you sure we should share a room?" Gary asked nervously as he connected the   
special screen to the wall in the middle of the room, opening it so it subdivided the room   
into two smaller ones.  
"Well we haven't really got a choice now Washu has moved into the house" Mihoshi said   
as she moved her bags into her sub-room "and this screen should keep the warm in well"  
"Yeah that's one way of looking at it yeah" said Gary as he laid out his futon, rubbing his   
eyes in tiredness "So when do you reckon they'll send us a new ship?"  
"Soon I hope" Mihoshi said as she turned on a lamp on her side, illuminating herself on   
the screen.  
"Erm Mihoshi" Gary tried to point out before she shut the screen door on the far side.  
"What?"  
"Don't you think the screen....well"  
"Oh don't worry" giggled Mihoshi, oblivious to what Gary really meant "I'm sure that   
lamp is fire safe".  
Gary gulped as he watched Mihoshi 's shadow get changed into her Sleeping gown   
through the screen.  
"Anyway we have allot of chores to do in the morning Gary, I hope you'll be up early"  
"Erm...yeah...great" Gary said, staring at the shadow on the screen.  
  
"Washu, Gary and Mihoshi have prepared your room" Tenchi said walking down the   
stairs into the living room. Nobody was to be seen.  
"What?" Tenchi blinked "I left her here a second ago" Tenchi noticed Washu walk out of   
the closet set under the stairs.  
"Oh there you are!" smiled Tenchi in relief "I didn't know you had a coat with you"  
"I don't" Washu smiled waving Tenchi over.  
"Well why were you in our Closet?" Tenchi asked puzzled.  
Tenchi was ushered through the door, expecting a small, dark closet that needed a   
cleaning. What he got in reality however was much different.  
"Aggg!" gasped Tenchi as he looked at the vast expanse of the greenhouse laboratory   
"What have you done to my Closet?"   
"Ahh just as I left it!" yawned Washu as she walked to a floating cushion and sat down,   
calling up a holo-computer.  
"Washu why what happened to the closet?"  
"Oh your closet it still there, this is just one of my three interlinked labs, now linked to   
your house via trans-dimensional portals.  
"Oh well you seem busy I'll leave you to it" Tenchi said, not really getting any of what   
Washu said.  
Washu didn't say a word as she tapped away at the keyboard, totally focused on what she   
was doing. Tenchi smiled as he slipped out.  
"Goodnight little Washu" he murmured.  
"Yeah me and Tenchi are gonna have a great evening!" came a soft voice from behind   
Tenchi.  
"Yarrrg!" Tenchi cried jumping up in the air and hitting the ceiling.  
"Oh Tenchi are you okay?" Ryoko asked as Tenchi landed in a heap.  
"Don't be so rough on the boy" Washu said in Ryoko's mind "he's fragile unlike you"  
"Well who made me as hard as rock then?" Ryoko spat back into Washu's mind.  
As Ryoko left with Tenchi, Washu was already checking deep space scans. She saw what   
she was dreading.   
"I pray that they're ready for this" she said to herself as she sent an anonymous high   
priority message to the Law Committee.   
"I'm sorry for going behind your back but it has to be done"  
  
"Come on Sasami" Ayeka smiled as she finished folding her hair expertly into her pouch   
"Time for bed"  
"Aww but can't I stay up for just a bit longer?" Sasami pleaded "The stars are out   
tonight, I think I can see ours"  
Ayeka smiled "I wish I was that age" she thought to herself.  
"Please sis" Sasami asked with that sweetness in her eyes.  
"Well all right, but come to bed soon, its getting very late" Ayeka said as she laid back on   
her futon.  
  
"Uh Gary?" Mihoshi said in the darkness.  
"Yeah" said Gary sleepily.  
"Ummm...nothing" said Mihoshi as she snuggled up.  
  
Fin  



	4. Pt.4

***This Fanfic is written without the permission of both Pioneer and AIC but I'm not   
selling it so please do not sue me. Actually what you can do Pioneer and AIC is reopen   
sales of Tenchi in the UK (you know how much it costs to get the stuff from   
America!!!!!!!) PLEASE!!!! ***  
  
"The trees have been doing very well since you left Sasami" the   
voice said in Sasami's head as she slept. "I'm glad" smiled Sasami  
"Tsunami do Royal trees ever die?" The voice didn't reply. Sasami  
was sitting comfortably in the Royal tree chamber. Light flooded  
the chamber as Sasami looked around. "Tsunami?" Sasami asked,   
worried. "Sasami, I was dying" the voice said.  
  
Gary rubbed his face as he woke up, Mihoshi was breathing deeply as   
she slept, mumbling the odd word here and there. He popped his face  
round the screen door, Mihoshi was there on her Futon, her covers  
sadly though not covering her whole body as she shivered, her face  
contracted in sadness. Gary pulled the cover back up to her neck.  
As he did she smiled softly again. Gary in turn smiled as he walked  
out to get a glass of water.  
  
"Dying?" Sasami blinked "but how?"   
"When I was something before a tree"   
"Tsunami I don't understand" Sasami shook her head.   
"Over 30,000 years before you were born, I was dying. The Jurain people  
gathered to find a solution. They decided to transfer my mind and   
spirit to the sturdiest and biggest of the first Royal trees of   
Jurai. Yet after the process was complete, the tree began to wilt.  
For 25,000 years I have been living in the Royal chamber, watching  
over those who serve Jurai."   
"But you are still dying Tsunami" Sasami said, a tear forming in her eyes.   
"When you were born, you were struck down with a devastating disease. Your sister Ayeka was   
away at that time, only your mother was present to give consent  
for you to participate in the convergence ritual"   
"What is that?"   
"This was when you were only a couple of weeks old. The ritual sets  
our two souls and minds on a path of telepathic convergence,  
eventually Sasami we will be one, but it was my spirit which is what  
kept you alive"  
  
Sasami thought back. She remembered now, how the priests came to her  
bedside to pray for her recovery, how the finest Doctors and   
physcisians in the Empire had come to find a cure and how her Mother  
cried. Then it went black. She had died. Tears began flowing down her  
cheeks. "But why now, why tell me now?" Sasami sniffed. "Because  
you had to know sooner or later Sasami" Said the voice, a tall woman  
with long flowing, light blue hair appeared out of the vast and   
massive tree, dressed in the finery of a Goddess. "You are...I am"   
Sasami said, dropping to her knees, sobbing quietly. "I'm sorry   
Sasami but it was the only way to save you" Tsunami said, placing  
a hand on Sasami's head "Please don't feel sorrow"   
"Tsunami" cried Sasami quietly.   
"I must leave now" Tsunami said solemnly as she  
stepped back.   
"No please don't leave me" sobbed Sasami. Sasami's  
vision faded into darkness as Tsunami merged with her tree once more.  
  
"Tsunami!" cried out Sasami as she woke up, the green light   
emanating from her Rune in her forehead pulsing franticly "Please  
stay!" Still in her dream she leapt out of bed and ran for the door  
"Tsunami!" she cried out again, waking Ayeka.  
  
Gary was walking back upstairs when he heard a sudden commotion,  
running to the top of the stairs, he ran right into Sasami. "Hey   
Sasami!" Gary said grabbing a hold of her "calm down" "Let me go!"  
she screamed "I mustn't let Tsunami leave me" Gary saw she was still  
half asleep, to remedy this he shook her gently.   
"Sasami wake up please Sasami" said Gary urgently as he looked behind Sasami "Lady  
Ayeka come quickly!" Sasami's rune was flashing manically now,   
acting as a strobe light, then as Sasami slowly woke up, the light  
faded. "Tsunami" Sasami sobbed uncontrollably into Gary's shoulder  
as he knelt down.   
"There, there Princess, calm down it was only a dream" Gary whispered as Ayeka rushed out of her room.   
"Gary what happened?"  
"Sasami ran into me when I was coming back from the   
kitchen, I have no idea why she is crying like this"   
"Oh poor dear" Ayeka said, her eyes watering as she saw her sister's distress,  
she walked over and knelt with Gary to hug her sister "don't worry  
your big sister is here now"   
"Ayeka it was such a bad dream" Sasami sniffed.   
"Her Rune was flashing like mad Lady Ayeka" Gary said as he  
rubbed Sasami's shoulder "should that mean anything?"   
"I don't know" Ayeka said, puzzled "I'll get her back to bed"   
"Do you think you can manage Princess?"  
Ayeka nodded with a smile "Thank you Gary for comforting my sister"   
Gary winked "your obedient servant as always Lady Ayeka" he looked down at Sasami "now Princess don't be troubled  
by your dream, remember that your sister will always be with you no   
matter what happens so you'll always be safe" he said with a smile  
as he wiped a tear away from Sasami's cheek. Sasami nodded, looking  
down at the floor as Ayeka took her hand and led her back to their  
bedroom. Gary sighed and walked back into his bedroom, having to walk  
through Mihoshi's partition to get to his part. He looked at Mihoshi  
and smiled as she snoozed away happily.  
  
****  
  
It had been two weeks since Washu had crashed to the earth, last   
night though saw an event which was much more important to the   
'family'. Sasami was distant, answering mostly to a second call or   
question. And what was worse, despite her obvious sadness, her   
cooking was as good as ever. The table was strangely silent, Ayeka  
and Ryoko calling an unspoken truce, Ryoko was actually too focused  
on Washu who insisted on sitting next to her (even if it meant sitting  
in between her and Tenchi) Gary eat his rice with an increased  
vigor, Mihoshi and Tenchi however were far more concerned as they   
watched Sasami play with her food slowly.   
"Sasami are you okay?" Mihoshi asked, looking concerned. Sasami looked up and nodded.  
"Please may I have more rice?" Gary asked with a smile, holding  
his bowl up. Sasami again nodded and opened the rice container,  
scooping a large amount of rice into the bowl.   
"Hey you're not sad are you?" Tenchi asked. Sasami showed no emotion as she offered  
Gary his bowl back. Gary took his bowl gently and set it down on the  
table. He looked at Sasami and thought for a while. Then clicked  
his fingers. He first whispered in Tenchi's ear. Tenchi smiled and   
looked over at Ayeka for approval. Ayeka seeing what Gary and Tenchi  
was planning, giggled quietly and nodded. Sasami looked over at   
Ayeka then back at Gary and Tenchi.   
"Well you know what Sasami?" Gary said with a smug smile, looking straight at Sasami, making  
sure he had her full attention as Tenchi got up. Sasami looked at   
Gary.   
"Don't you dare laugh!" Gary said with mock seriousness,  
hand ticking off Sasami. Sasami just looked down at the floor.  
Meanwhile Tenchi snuck around the table.   
"Because Little Sasami" Gary continued. Tenchi crouched stealthily behind Sasami and nodded  
to Gary.   
"You're gonna get the tickling of a lifetime!" said Gary as he got up, Sasami gasped as she was suddenly felt several   
feathers run up and down her back, looking behind her, she saw Tenchi  
with two flowers.   
"Now don't you laugh!" said Gary goofily. Sasami, tried to hide a smirk as she was tickled.   
"Don't you dare laugh" continued Gary. Ryoko smiled with Washu as she took some of Ryoko's  
pickles with her looking. Sasami giggled, clutching her mouth. Ayeka  
giggled.   
"That's a good girl" Gary grinned, tickling Sasami's chin. Sasami laughed softly, falling on her side as Tenchi and Gary  
tickled her.   
"You feel better now?" Tenchi asked. Sasami nodded, still giggling as she got back up   
"Much better" she said. Gary got up and sat back down, he looked over at Mihoshi who smiled warmly.  
"Well what's the point of having the sun out if the youngest isn't  
enjoying it?" Gary said as he started on his new bowl of rice.  
  
And Gary was right, the sun was out, blazing down on the earth below.  
Temperatures at levels that would soothe and relax the body rather  
than punish it with cold or excessive heat.  
  
But Ayeka had no time for that, she went into the depths of Washu's  
lab complex in search of knowledge. Washu was in her greenhouse  
lab, brightly lit as the two suns of the system which the lab was set  
in revolved outside the massive, glass and plasteel structure.  
  
"Hey Ayeka what can I do ya for?" Washu said, not turning around  
to greet the newcomer.   
"I wish to ask you about my little sister Sasami" Ayeka said sitting down on a floating cushion that had made  
a stop next to her.   
"What about Sasami?" Washu asked, turning around.   
"She has been getting quite a few 'bad' dreams lately, some  
so bad she wakes up outside of our bedroom"   
"Hmmm any distinctive symptoms that are visible?"   
"Yes her rune glows, flashes and when the dream reaches its peak, strobes" Ayeka described to Washu "any   
ideas?"   
Washu thought for a second "someone's communicating with her in her sleep" she said as she moved her holo-computer  
in front of her.   
"What?" Ayeka said "are you sure?"   
"Not one hundred percent" Washu shrugged as she tapped on the keyboard "but its close  
enough"   
"Oh" Ayeka blinked.   
"Does she do anything else really out of her character?" Washu asked "You know, try and kill someone she   
knows, destroy stuff, set up beacons to attract far away evil craft  
that kind of thing?"   
"No!" Ayeka said sternly "and I wouldn't think she'd agree to do that anyway!"   
"Okay, okay jeeze!" Washu said.   
"Washu there must be something you can do?" Ayeka pleaded "I can't  
bear for her to be unhappy"   
"I'll think of something" Washu winked as she turned around to get to work "give me a couple of hours, by then I'll  
probably have found the reason why this has been happening"  
"Thank you Ms.Washu" Ayeka smiled as she stood up.   
"Wait!" shouted Washu.   
"What?" asked Ayeka.   
"Call me...little Washu!" said Washu dreamily. Ayeka just frowned and walked out, brushing past Gary who  
knocked on the door.   
"You busy Wa..little Washu?" Gary laughed nervously.   
"Well I'm working on something but heck, how can I help you?" Washu asked.   
"Well I was wondering if you could fix these up for me?" Gary said as he held up his melted gloves. Washu looked  
down at them.   
"What?" GAry asked as Washu too a look.  
"My hasn't the Danzihia Union's technology advanced over the years" Washu smiled as she threw the gloves through  
a dimensional portal.   
"Didn't stop Ryoko from frying them though" Gary said as he saw his old gloves leave forever "So what can you   
do?"   
"Oh I got another pair after experimenting with the dimensions, some girl who looked just like me gave em' to me so I thought what  
the hell lets take em" Washu laughed as she pulled out a new pair "DS Thach meet your new Dim-e"  
"They look much different than my old pair" Gary said as he took them and slipped them on.   
"The basic concept and design is still there, though for a start they are electro magnetically and radiation resistant, it will earth 75% of any   
foreign energy that hits you" Washu lectured as Gary slipped the other one on carefully, his eyes went wide.   
"What's wrong?" Washu asked.   
"Bloody hell!" Gary exclaimed "the power, where's it all coming from?"   
"Oh its directly connected to dimension space rather than the energy inefficient and inferior Alpha-space that your old   
gloves were half connected to"   
"That it?" Gary asked sarcastically.   
"No there's more" Washu said as she pulled out a space age tagging device of nowhere and walked towards Gary "now hold still"   
"Washu what are you up to?" Gary asked nervously as he took a step back,  
tripping over something and falling into a chair that locked him in.  
"I'm giving you control of course Gary darling" Washu sniggered  
manically as her eyes went wide with excitement. Gary struggled  
but in vain as Washu grabbed his head with surprising strength  
and held him still as she injected something into the back of his   
neck.   
"Ouch!" Gary cried out as he stood "what was that you tagged  
me with?"   
"An ultra-miniature control unit" Washu winked "it detects  
your brainwaves, you think of a command for the gloves and the gloves  
will respond to your call"   
"Really?"   
Washu nodded "yep, try it, open a portal to say, the kitchen and look through"  
  
"Sasami!" Ayeka said as she brushed her hair in the bathroom,  
clothed in only a towel "if you want to brush you teeth you better  
do it no-" Ayeka froze as she looked up. Gary's face was poking out  
the mirror in front of her. "Erm.....err....hi?"  
Gary smiled nervously. "Pervert!" Ayeka screamed as she slapped  
him as hard as she possibly could.  
  
"Ouch!" Gary said, staggering away as a variety of shampoo bottles  
and shower gel containers flew through the portal "Bugger that!"  
"Hehehe!" Washu laughed "Guess you need to get used to it"   
"Oh sod off Washu!" Gary sulked as he took the gloves off and walked off to   
the exit.   
"Oh by the way!" Washu shouted after Gary "to call the gloves if you don't have them to hand, think of them on your hands  
and the CU will respond" Washu frowned "and call me Little Washuuuuu!"  
  
****  
  
"Why do I have to wash the clothes?" Ryoko frowned as she scrubbed  
"Gary was meant to do this"   
"I haven't seen him anywhere at all" Mihoshi said as she put the washing up on the many washing lines.  
"There he is!" Ryoko fumed as she phased in front of Gary as he walked  
out.   
"Where were you?" Mihoshi asked, looking over.   
"Getting my new gloves" Gary waved his hands.   
"Oh you have now" Ryoko said quietly "lets see some heat" she grinned as she looked at the gloves. Gary  
gasped as he looked down at his gloves.   
Nothing happened.   
"What?" Ryoko blinked "they should be melting right now"   
"No heat" Gary said.   
"not one kilo joule?" Ryoko asked.   
"No"   
"Not one bit?"   
"Nope"   
"Not one inseewincy bit?"   
"No!" Gary snapped.   
"Well" Ryoko said, stepping back "I guess we'll have a talk later"   
"We should" Gary nodded, his gloves disappearing from his hands. Ryoko phased into the air and  
away from the house. Gary sighed and walked over to the water bucket  
to wash some clothes.  
  
"Grandpa?" Tenchi called as he walked into the main courtyard  
of the Shrine. Nobody.   
"Where could he have gone to?" he thought  
to himself as he surveyed the courtyard. The door of the Shrine   
building slammed shut, startling Tenchi.   
"Oh Grandpa there you aryearraaaaggg!!" cried Tenchi as he saw Katoshito lunge into the air  
at him, blade in hand, about to strike. Tenchi dodged back. Katoshito  
didn't stop there however, he thrust his blade forward again and again, blade  
getting closer and closer to Tenchi in a variety of places. Finally  
Katoshito swept his blade up, slashing Tenchi's shirt from his   
stomach to his upper chest. Tenchi whined feebly as he saw how close  
to the skin the blade was.   
"Tenchi" said Katoshito disappointingly "look at what your laziness has done to your shirt"  
"Are you sure any outside factors had nothing to do with it?" Tenchi  
asked sarcastically.   
"Tenchi my grandson remember, the time you start to seep into a defensive stance is the time when you start to lose  
the fight" Katoshito said as he walked back to the shrine   
"and I want these stairs cleaned by dinner"  
  
Tenchi groaned as he tried to make sense of his ripped shirt. "Damn"  
he cursed as he took it off "what am I gonna do with this I can't  
sew!"   
"Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka called as she came up the steps   
"Oh?" she blushed as she saw Tenchi unclothed top half of his body.   
"Ms Ayeka" Tenchi smiled "I would have a shirt on but Grandfather kinda did some  
work on it" he smiled feebly as he held the shirt up.   
"Well I could sew it back together for you Lord Tenchi" Ayeka said as she walked  
up to Tenchi.   
"You would?"   
"It would be a pleasure Lord Tenchi" she said as her hands clasped around his. Ayeka gasped as she   
realized what she was doing and blushed again.   
"Okay well here you go" Tenchi smiled as he rubbed his head, handing the shirt to Ayeka.  
"Thank you Lord Tenchi" smiled Ayeka sweetly as she scuttled off back  
to the house.  
  
As soon as Ayeka had run off down the steps, Ryoko phased into view.  
"Tenchi-boy!" she called out "Tenchi?" Ryoko cried as she saw the long  
red mark where Katoshito's sword had friction burned its way up   
Tenchi's chest.   
"Hi Ryoko- ugmph!" Tenchi gasp as he was grabbed  
by Ryoko.   
"Are you okay?" Ryoko said, really concerned.   
"Its nothing really" Tenchi smiled into the hug.   
"That mark though?" Ryoko asked "do you want me to massage it better?" she said with a seductive  
smile.   
"What?" Tenchi gasped as Ryoko pinned him down on the floor.  
"Ryoko nooooooooooooo!" Tenchi shouted as loud as he could.  
  
"Wow did you hear that?" Mihoshi said as she put the last bit of   
washing up on the line.   
"Yeah" Gary nodded as he got up, walking a couple a steps away from the wash bucket   
"Tenchi must be having some fun"   
"Oh Gary" Mihoshi called sweetly.   
"Yeah Mihos-blub!" Gary said as he was hit by a foamy sponge, his face now sporting  
a fancy, snow white suds beard. Mihoshi giggled as Gary wiped the   
foam off his face.   
"Right that's it" Gary said shaking his head "retaliation" he grinned as he squeezed the sponge hard, releasing  
extra foam. Mihoshi giggled excitedly as Gary chased her in between  
the poles of the washing line. "Gotcha!" Gary laughed as he lightly  
put his hand on Mihoshi's shoulder, Mihoshi turned round and got   
load of foam on her nose. The two fell into each other's arms as they  
were consumed by the laughter of the moment.  
  
Sasami watched inside through the kitchen window, she giggled as she  
prepared lunch.   
"Hello Sasami" said Ayeka as she entered the house.   
"Oh hi Ayeka" Sasami winked "lunch will be ready soon"   
"Good" Ayeka smiled warmly "I'm glad you've perked up since last night"   
"I am too" said Sasami as she wiped her hands "and I've been making an extra  
special lunch as well"   
"I look forward to tasting your masterful cooking" giggled Ayeka as she walking out into the living room.   
Sasami nodded as she turned to look out of the window, humming to   
herself as she sliced and diced. Her rune began to glow.  
  
Washu was tapping away at her keyboard. "Psychic sensors activated  
at Co-ords 12,16,23. Room: kitchen, subject: Sasami" the computer  
said as the three dimensional diagram focused on the target.   
"Activate brain and nervous system activity (BNSA for short) monitor  
in 5..4..3..2..1..now" Washu said as she looked at some previous  
printouts. Nothing had really gone to back Ayeka and Gary's   
eyewitness reports of Sasami's rune flashing and glowing. "BNSA   
activated" the computer buzzed. Washu switched to the BNSA readings  
table to see all but one of the reading go off the roof.   
"What the!" Washu exclaimed "Alpha and Beta perception levels at 210% and rising,  
Truth Centrex levels at 310%! only her dynamic visual levels are the  
same as before" she tapped at the keyboard to extend the   
psychological search further in the house. Her eyes went wide.   
"Ayeka" Washu murmured before dashing off to the transport.  
  
Ayeka watched Gary and Mihoshi play outside as she practiced her art  
of needlework, humming to herself as she pressed the needle in and out  
of Tenchi's fabric. Dreaming perhaps of what might be with her and   
other people. She was awoken from such daydreams as she heard a knife  
crash to the floor in the kitchen.  
  
Looking to the doorway she saw Sasami standing there, remote, devoid  
of all emotion. Her pupils were dilated, her expression blank, empty.  
"Sasami?" Ayeka got up "are you okay?" Sasami said nothing as she  
walked slowly towards her elder sister. Her motions her kind of   
robotic, all grace and attraction that normally adorned this young  
Princess of Jurai was gone. Ayeka knew something was seriously  
wrong yet she felt she had to embrace her sister (if it was her   
sister). "Sasami" Ayeka murmured as she knelt down, her arms   
outstretched, ready to accept Sasami.   
  
Sasami's rune now started to flash softly and slowly. As she got   
closer to Ayeka it started to flash faster and brighter, covering  
Ayeka in bright green light.   
"Sasami!" Ayeka cried as the light climaxed into a strobe, light pouring out of the rune, flooding  
the room in bright green light.  
  
"Oh bugger that!" Gary cursed as he covered his and Mihoshi's  
eyes as bright light green light flooded out of the living room   
windows.   
"What's happened to Ayeka and Sasami!" Mihoshi said, running  
to Gary.   
"I don't know" Gary answered, eyes unable to get used to the  
bright light.   
"I'm scared" Mihoshi said nervously.   
"Sod this, I'm gonna go see what's happening!" Gary said as he ran into the kitchen area, as he   
did the light died down. Mihoshi followed quickly behind him.  
  
The scene shocked Gary as he barged into the living room. Sasami  
was kneeled, looking blankly into space. Ayeka also was blank, face  
drained, mouth closed and shrunken pupils staring into nothingness.  
  
Gary then saw the stream of green light flowing from Sasami's  
rune into the center of Ayeka's crown. Gary took a step back and saw  
Mihoshi.   
"Are they okay" she asked.   
"We better get Washu"   
"I'm here, I'm here!" Washu said as she ran in "Rats I'm too late!" she cursed  
"whoever is controlling Sasami had already started a psy-connection with Ayeka!"  
  
"Sasami?" Ayeka called out. The place was dark, not cold or damp.  
Nor did it hold any other fear educing characteristic.  
It was just dark, pitch black darkness.   
A light appeared in the distance, Ayeka saw it and instinctively ran for it.   
As she walked through, her senses were assaulted by sounds and smells that told her  
only one thing.   
  
Jurai.  
  
"Ayeka" a voice said. Ayeka whipped her head around to see Sasami  
standing on a rock, surrounded by ultra pure, clear water. "Sasami,  
why are we here?" Ayeka asked "is this real?"   
Sasami shook her head and spoke in a voice and shocked Ayeka "This is your mind, the part  
which is engrained in every Jurain's mind. This Ayeka is the perception  
of heaven, this my sister is Jurai-ten" Ayeka blinked, she looked around, the place was a vast   
plain, covered with tall broad Royal trees of Jurai. Everywhere  
she looked there were trees, even on platforms suspended in the sky.  
And there in the center of all the trees was her own: Ryu-oh. "My   
tree" Ayeka said with emotion   
"Ryu-oh is connected with you via a psychic link as am I with you" Sasami continued with her elder voice   
"But your voice" Ayeka said "it has changed"   
"The reason why is because...because" the voice strained as Sasami's eyes welled up with tears "I don't know who I am anymore!" Sasami burst out, her younger voice straining though. Ayeka was speechless.  
"When I was sick as a baby, you were away. Mother and Auntie Funaho  
never told you of what happened" Sasami sniffed, her tears falling  
into the water.   
"What happened?" Ayeka asked, her own tears forming.   
"I merged with Tsunami" Sasami said, tears flowing down freely now "and now I don't know whether I am a regular girl, a goddess I don't know at all!". "Sasami" Ayeka said, hand reaching out for her younger sister. Sasami, crying hard now, turned away. But she slipped, screaming, she fell backwards  
into the water.   
"Sasami!" screamed Ayeka as she sprinted to the water, pulling out her fragile little sister. Sasami, coughed up some  
water as Ayeka held her in her arms. They looked up into each other  
eyes, sister to sister.   
"Sasami no matter who you are, you are the Sasami I have known since you were a baby"  
Sasami sniffed.  
"And I love you regardless" Ayeka smiled through her tears "remember what Mr. Gary said?"   
Sasami nodded.   
"That I will always be with you, no matter what happens. If I die, I will be with you in all but physical form Sasami"   
"Oh Ayeka!" sobbed Sasami "I'm scared"   
"It'll be okay Sasami" They both cried into each other's arms, Ayeka looked up to see Tsunami standing over them.   
"Tsunami?" Ayeka sniffed looking down at Sasami as she suddenly drifted off to sleep.   
"Yes it is true" the elder voice came back again as Tsunami spoke. Ayeka nodded, stroking Sasami's hair softly. "When Sasami was dying, I was dying as well" We were merged as it was the only way that both of us could survive"   
"So what happens now?" asked Ayeka.   
"The process is a temporary one only. Since that day, my spirit, fully restored has been returning to where it belongs, the Royal tree of Tsunami" Tsunami explained.  
"But what about Sassami?" Ayeka said looking down at her sister.  
"As you are tied psychologically with your Tree Ryu-oh, Sasami is tied psychologically with me, the oldest of the Trees of Jurai. In her mind she has a vision of Jurai-ten, just like any other blooded Jurain has. That is where her link with me lies."  
"She has the power to call you and the ship Tsunami?"  
"Yes, she has known this for a time now, yet she did not know how to handle it, but she is not a goddess"  
Ayeka nodded and stroked her Sister's light blue hair.  
"But why tell me now?" Ayeka asked.  
"I must reveal your sister's past because of an important event that will happen soon"  
"What?" Ayeka asked "what will happen? Will Sasami be hurt?"  
"No" Tsunami shook her head "a battle will take place in this area, an enemy must be stopped" Tsunami's eyes narrowed "you must be prepared"  
"I understand" Ayeka nodded.  
"I must now leave you and Sasami" said Tsunami as she looked at Sasami "I must return to the tree"  
"Thank you" Ayeka smiled. Tsunami smiled and nodded as she walked  
down into the water.  
  
"Ayeka!" Tenchi said, shaking her gently. "The psy-link broke five  
minutes ago and still nothing has happened" Gary said. "Oh I hope   
they're okay?" Mihoshi said, biting a finger. "What's happening  
Washu dammit?" Ryoko said frantically. "They're alive" Washu said as she   
tapped away on her keyboard "they're minds are in the recovery  
stages after the cut off of the link"  
  
Suddenly Ayeka and Sasami, simultaneously gasped as they awoke,  
Sasami fell back into Ryoko's lap and Ayeka rubbed her eyes as   
Tenchi held her up. "Lady Ayeka?" Tenchi said worried. "I'm okay,  
I'm okay" Ayeka said groggily, she looked at Sasami, sleeping  
away soundly in Ryoko's arms. Tears began to well up in her eyes.  
"We must prepare" Ayeka said as she slowly walked over to Sasami and hugged her sister softly.   
"Huh what for?" Gary asked.   
Ayeka picked Sasami up "Tsunami warned me of a vast enemy that we will encounter soon" she said.  
"Soja!" Washu and Gary said at the same time.  
"We haven't much time left" Washu said "I must return to my lab and work!" she said as she stalked off.  
"I'll get this young lady off to bed" said Ayeka as she walked up the stairs.  
  
"Ayeka?" Sasami said quietly as Ayeka laid her on the   
futon "Ayeka I'm scared".   
"Don't worry Sasami" smiled Ayeka as she stroked her sister's light blue hair "You are safe here just sleep for now"   
Sasami smiled softly "I love you Sis"   
"I love you too Sasami" Ayeka smile warmly as she got up and   
walked out of the room.  
  
Sasami closed her eyes. "Help me Tsunami" she thought as she   
drifted back to sleep.  
  
Fin.  
  



	5. Pt.5

***This Fanfic is written without the permission of both Pioneer and AIC but I'm not   
selling it so please do not sue me. Actually what you can do Pioneer and AIC is reopen   
sales of Tenchi in the UK (you know how much it costs to get the stuff from   
America!!!!!!!) PLEASE!!!! ***  
  
"So you got your gloves back?" Ryoko said as she sat down in the clearing, talking a gulp   
from the bottle of Sake she had with her.  
"Yeah" nodded Gary.  
The pair were silent as they looked up at the sky.  
"We gonna finish our 'business'?" Ryoko asked looking down at Gary.  
"I don't really know" Gary said, "my orders tell me one thing yet my heart tells me   
another"  
"I've stopped now" nodded Ryoko "you know that don't you?"  
"I understand" Gary said "I don't really want to disturb anything...with you and." Gary   
laughed nervously.  
"Me and what?" Ryoko eyed Gary suspiciously.  
"Well you and Tenchi" Gary said, half expecting to be slammed into the ground.  
Ryoko smiled and nodded "I see" she walked to where Gary was standing and put out a   
hand "friends?"  
"Forever" Gary grinned as he shook the hand, clasping it with the other.  
"I'm glad we've sorted this out," Ryoko said as she walked off with Gary.  
"What about Soja?" Gary said.  
"Yeah what about Soja?" Washu muttered in Ryoko's mind.  
"Do you have to watch everything I do?" Ryoko said in Washu's mind.  
No answer.  
"Ryoko?" Gary asked, "What's with the staring?"  
"Soja is coming, the only thing we can do is stop it before it destroys anything more"  
"Just don't go doing over any more banks okay?" Gary laughed "get a sodding loan next   
time!"  
  
"Tenchi!" called Sassami out of the kitchen window "Lunch is ready"  
"Okay I'll go and get the others," acknowledged Tenchi as he walked into the house.  
"Lady Ayeka?" Tenchi called as he walked through the house   
"Yes Tenchi?" said Ayeka as her head popped out of the living room door.  
"Lunch" he smiled as he walked past "do you know where Washu is?"  
"No" said Ayeka as she put her needlework down "I haven't seen her all morning"  
"Hmm" Tenchi thought, "Must be in her lab"  
  
Ayeka walked into the Kitchen and saw the wide selection of food available.  
"You were right about the food," Ayeka giggled as Sassami turned to face her sister "This   
lunch looks delectable!"  
"Thank you sister" winked Sasami "do you think you could help me carry this stuff to the   
table?"  
"Of course"  
"Hey everyone!" Mihoshi chimed as she walked in "is lunch ready?"  
"Just setting it down now," Sassami said as she brought in the Rice containers.  
"Wow Sasami" grinned Ryoko as she and Gary walked into the living room.  
"I thought this was a lunch not a banquet!" laughed Gary as he saw the food being set   
down.  
"Yep Sasami is definitely a Gourmet chef!"  
  
"Washu?" Tenchi called as he walked through on of her three labs "Lunch!"  
"Go away I'm busy now" Washu said somewhere through a loud speaker.  
"But Washu, come on!" Tenchi shouted, "it's been two days non stop work, you need   
food"  
"But I need to work Tenchi dammit!" shouted back Washu "End of subject"  
Tenchi sighed as he turned and walked back out into the house.  
"Any luck?" Sasami asked.  
Tenchi shook his head  
"Oh well" Shrugged Gary "lets dole out Washu's portion to everyone else"  
"Yeah guess we have to" sighed Sasami as she picked up her chopsticks "help yourselves   
everybody"  
  
  
****  
  
After lunch, Tenchi went off to practice, with added urgency after what Washu and   
Ayeka had said the day before. Other than that life went on as normal.  
  
"Right" Gary said as he put the broom back into the storage cupboard "That's that out of   
the way"  
"Yeah" nodded Mihoshi absently.  
"Something on your mind?" Gary asked as he turned around.  
"Oh no nothing" smiled Mihoshi "You still have to process the precinct paperwork"  
Gary blinked "Oh damn yeah" he cursed as he ran upstairs "I'm gonna go out and fill all   
this stuff out"   
"Okay" Mihoshi giggled as she walked outside to find Sasami.  
  
"This is getting to be a regular thing," Ryoko muttered as she drank some Sake.  
"Yes" nodded Ayeka "but it is most enjoyable"  
  
Ayeka and Ryoko watched from the edge of the clearing as Tenchi and Katoshito went   
through their daily routine. Tenchi was in the middle of sword practice, going through the   
motions that they went through every day because..  
  
"Being familiar with your weapon is a step towards being a good swordsman" as   
Katoshito used to say.  
  
"Say that again" grinned Ryoko "watch this"  
Ayeka nodded and waited.  
"Hey Tenchi you're sandals got something in it!"  
"What?" Tenchi blinked as he looked down. For that he got a wooden blade strike to the   
gut and a high kick to the chin, which sent him sprawling to the ground.  
"Oh you're so cruel!" giggled Ayeka.  
"Focus Tenchi!" Katoshito said as he sheathed his wooden practice blade.  
"But Ryoko tricked me!"  
"Give yourself some room before you assess anything other than the opponent in front of   
you Tenchi" Katoshito replied firmly "remember that".   
Katoshito then turned and walked away "Practice is over Tenchi".  
  
Tenchi went to get up but was knocked down by Ryoko, hugging his midsection.  
"Oh Tenchi are you alright?" Ryoko said with concern.  
"Hey!" Ayeka shouted, "You caused it!"  
"I did not" Ryoko said back "I just wanted Tenchi to know he had a stone in his sandals   
that's all"  
"It was a cruel joke Ryoko" Ayeka said, arms crossed.  
"Yeah and who laughed at the cruel joke?"  
Ayeka blinked and fumed as Ryoko continued to hug and glom Tenchi (despite the fact   
that Tenchi was trying to get her off of him).  
  
"This looks like a good enough place as any to sit down," said Gary as he breathed in the   
fresh clear air. He looked up at the tree, which he had elected to sit under. Though it was   
still alive, some of its branches were damaged.  
"Must've been the last typhoon" Gary shrugged as he sat down.  
"Bloody paperwork" he muttered as he got his clipboard out and filled out the new   
precinct forms. After a while though he gave up altogether and decided to survey the   
countryside.  
  
"Where's Gary?" Mihoshi asked Sasami as put up the last of the Washing "he forgot this   
last form"  
"Oh he went off one of the hills up there" Sasami "Are you still up for those cooking   
lessons later today?"  
"Of course Sasami" winked Mihoshi as she ran off "thank you little Sasami"  
"You're welcome" waved Sasami.  
  
"Soja defense system 5a" Washu muttered as she worked away. Analysising each of Soja's weapons one by one.  
"This should be sim- huh?" she blinked as a red Ryo-ohki flashed at the top right of her holo-screen. Selecting  
it she saw the alert.  
"What?" she gasped "Gary!".  
  
Gary rubbed his eyes.  
"Getting sleepy, oh well a nap won't hur- what?" Gary blinked as he looked at his hands;   
he saw that he was wearing his Dim-e.   
"I must've pressed the button by mistake," he said to himself as he felt his shirt.   
He grabbed his head in pain as a something hit him mentally.  
"Jesus!" he grimaced "what's happening?" he said to himself.  
  
Washu looked over at Gary's health display, directly linked to his MCU, her blood ran   
cold as his heart stopped beating.  
  
"Oh Gary you always forget stuff" giggled Mihoshi as she jogged along. Suddenly she   
heard a loud scream of pain echo through the part of the forest she was in.  
"Gary?" she said nervously as she started to run.  
  
Gary cried out in pain as his chest jerked out, like he was being pumped with thousands   
of volts of electricity. For a moment he felt his heart stop. He heard a bleep (that was   
his MCU kicking in), sending a much smaller electric shock to kick-start the heart. Then it   
stopped.  
  
Washu stopped as a real-time graph flashed up, made up of 50 seperate energy bars, 40 of which   
were breaking their safe operational limits.  
"It can't be" she said as her fingers flashed over the holo-keyboard.  
  
"What was that?" Gary panted as the pain slowly lingered away.  
  
Washu then saw the energy bars return to normal. "Must've been a blip" she thought as she   
moved back to her seat, then the MCU siren went off again. Running over to it she saw the read-outs.  
"Something is penetrating his chest!" she gasped.  
  
Gary, feeling his head, felt a sudden jabbing sensation. He frantically scratched at his shirt as he   
felt as though he was slowly being stabbed.  
  
Mihoshi came on the scene to see Gary, rolling about the floor, scratching hysterically at his chest.  
"Gary?" Mihoshi cried as she ran towards him "what's wrong with you?"  
"I'm being stabbed!" Gary screamed out "help me I'm being stabbed"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I can see it!" cried Gary now flapping his hands slightly above his chest "the dagger!"  
"Gary please stop it!" said Mihoshi "you're scaring me!"  
"Find the small black button in my trousers and press it!" Gary shouted.  
Mihoshi scrabbled in Gary's trouser pockets and found the button in his rear pocket, she   
quickly pressed it and Gary's Dim-e gloves disappeared.  
"Gary are you okay?" Mihoshi asked as she pulled Gary up onto an upright sitting   
position. The look on Gary's face was one of unbelievable, pure terror. He was sweating   
and shook like a pneumatic drill.  
"Oh Gary" Mihoshi said quietly.  
"I'm scared" Gary murmured.  
And for the first time they hugged, Mihoshi stroking Gary's short, brown hair, Gary   
holding Mihoshi tight.  
"Mihoshi I'm sorry" Gary said as he wiped his face, covered in sweat "but that was the   
scariest thing I've ever been through"  
"Oh don't say sorry" Mihoshi smiled sweetly "what happened was beyond your control"   
she gave Gary a tissue "here use this"  
"Thank you" smiled Gary.  
They both blinked as soon as they saw the position they were both in.  
"Oh!" Mihoshi gasped.  
"Erm...should we be really hugging each other?" Gary asked.  
"Well nobody is watching are they?" Mihoshi said, looking around.  
"Still" Gary said, getting up "Thanks for getting here when you did"  
"It's okay," winked Mihoshi as she got up as well "Just assisting another person of the   
law"  
Gary blushed.  
  
"Washu!" Sasami shouted as Washu ran out of her lab "it's Gary and Mihoshi"  
Washu turned around to see Gary, still covered in sweat, his clear white shirt ripped in   
several places.  
"Oh dear" Washu said to herself, rubbing her head.  
"I saw some crap Washu" said Gary, his hands still shaking.   
"Is Mr. Gary okay?" Sasami asked worriedly.   
"Maybe you and me should start on dinner," Mihoshi said, leading Sasami into the   
kitchen.  
  
"Well I can draw only one conclusion from the tests" Washu said looking at the holo   
printouts, looking at Gary, suspended in her examo-pod.   
"What's that then Washu?" asked Gary glumly.  
"That's Littl-"   
"I know, I know sorry Little Washu" sighed Gary.  
Washu smiled sweetly as she looked back down at her report "as I was saying" she   
continued "Your Dim-e as a consequence of being directly linked to Dimension  
space, is acting as an antenna for the user"  
"What are you saying?"   
"I'm saying you're experiencing the pain of another Gary in another dimension"   
Gary blinked.  
"I mean if one of your counterparts in another dimension gets stabbed while using his   
Dim-e, the memory get relayed to all those other Gary's who have Dim-e's as scale 5   
flashbacks"  
"So what do you recommend?"   
"Give the gloves back until further notice" Washu said as she let Gary down.  
"Okay" Gary said as he handed Washu the button and the gloves "I need to talk to   
Mihoshi now, thanks for clearing that up" Gary said as he rubbed his forehead.  
"Gary?" Washu said, back facing him.   
"Yes?"   
"You believe me about this Soja business don't you" asked Washu in a worried tone.  
"I have to look at some things before we can get around to that" he said as he walked out   
rubbing his head.  
  
Washu sighed and sat back down, going back to work on Soja. She could sense that it   
was getting nearer and only she and Ayeka were the only people taking the damn thing   
seriously.  
  
She looked up at one of the big screens up above, on it were the last known ship diagrams   
of the Soja. She knew they'd be massively modified since the last time.  
  
"Bored?" Ryoko suddenly said in Washu's head.  
"Yep" Washu nodded.  
"I'm doing nothing right now" Ryoko smiled in Washu's head "wanna talk?"   
"Got work to do daughter of mine" winked Washu.  
"That's crap Washu and you know it" Ryoko snapped, "I am not your daughter!"  
  
****  
  
"I'm saying that we don't understand the gravity of the situation" Gary said as he drunk   
his   
tea. Gary was holding a kind of conference to get everyone's views of the situation.   
Tenchi   
however was still practicing.   
"What because we don't believe her?" Ryoko muttered, arms crossed.  
"I know what I heard" Ayeka said "Its true I tell you"  
"Well if it is then why hasn't Washu come in with a plan to solve it?" Ryoko demanded.  
"I don't know about this but it seems that Washu is genuinely scared of facing Soja   
again" Gary said, looking   
down at some papers.  
"If she is telling the truth" said Ryoko as she filled her cup with Sake.  
"She did" Mihoshi, who was sitting next Gary said "Me, Ga-I mean DS Thach with the   
help of Yukinojo   
managed to do a full scale investigation into the background of Professor Washu"  
"And?" Ryoko asked.  
"And this is what we found" Gary said opening up the massive folder, jammed packed   
with datasheets and   
chrono reports.  
"Professor Washu was born sometime in the 5th recorded birth bracket or for Earth time,   
19,500 BC" Mihoshi began  
"Huh?" Ayeka blinked "I don't understand"  
"We found it hard ourselves until we delved in further" Mihoshi explained "Washu at the   
age of 13 had developed the knowledge and thinking power of any well respected   
University Professor and scientist...in nearly every part of scientific knowledge. At that   
time was when she discovered genetics and the ability to change the coding of a specific   
gene"   
"It was at this time Washu discovered the gene responsible for ageing of the body and   
organs in every living thing" Gary added.  
"She modified the gene and disabled any aging effects that would impair any part of the   
body inside and out in later years" Mihoshi continued "she made it into a small inject able   
dose called 'project YZ-53'"  
"How many did she make?" asked Ryoko.  
"Only one, the drug was outlawed even before it went to tests because of the huge costs   
in making it viable"  
"So what did she do then?"  
"After that she looked at mind patterns and brainwaves. She found that with training,   
people could have a set of configurations to choose from ingrained into each gene, these   
configs could be activated by metal thought alone.  
She redeveloped YZ-53 with these properties designed with only one person in   
mind...herself"  
"You hearing this?" Ryoko said in her head through the link to Washu.  
"Yep" Washu said quietly "man they do their homework"  
"So she took the injection herself?" Ayeka asked.  
"Yeah" Gary nodded "the only person to take it...ever"  
"And she's never grown any older ever since 19,500BC" Mihoshi finished.  
"What happened with Soja then?"  
"Washu constructed the computer first, several prototypes of AI, one that would be near   
impervious to electronic and magnetic attack. But only to the period's technology.  
Then when she created the perfect AI core, she built the ship around it and programmed it   
to be the ship's main computer. Soja was to be the computer that would take care of the   
tasks that a 10,000 man crew would have to do, leaving Washu alone to do her   
experiments" Mihoshi explained.  
"What happened to Soja to make it go after its owner?" Ayeka asked.  
"One day, Soja, in a moment of free time did a random calculation, we don't what is was   
but it was that day 5,000 years ago that sparked it off into the biggest Galaxy rampage   
that it has ever seen" Mihoshi continued.  
"Washu was forced to flee in the face of death" Gary finished.  
The room was full of silence.  
"So...just how powerful is this Soja?" Ayeka asked.  
"It's destroyed many GP ships" Washu said, standing at the doorway.  
"Washu!" Ryoko stood up "is all that they've just said true?"  
Washu nodded "I was afraid of telling you people you the full story because wouldn't   
have believed me" she looked away   
"I've been trying to find a way to get past Soja's defences"  
"Wait this ship is thousands of years old" Ayeka said "if it was only designed to stand up   
to that times weaponry then why not use today's updated war gear?"  
"When it went berserk, it crashed itself and restarted for the first time in its life. I didn't   
know that the restart would wipe the AI's memory" Washu said, looking down at the   
floor "and it's after me next, it'll destroy anything in its way"  
"Just you?" Ryoko asked.  
"That means" Ayeka gasped "Earth is next!"  
Washu nodded.  
"Washu" Ryoko thought "I should've listened"  
"Yes you should've" Washu said quietly in her head.  
Ryoko walked up to Washu "I'm sorry" she said as she put her hand on her shoulder.  
Washu nodded.  
  
"Well Washu" Ayeka said "What can we expect from Soja?"  
"Well" Washu looked up "Its AI would've used the ship's generation facilities to produce   
it's internal defence system,   
and the only way we can get to the AI core is via getting inside the ship"  
"How powerful is the ship's IDS?" Ryoko asked.  
"Very powerful, good thing I disabled its development chip before I left"  
"Soja's weaponry hasn't changed for 5,000 years" Gary said as he gathered the papers up   
and placed them back in the file  
"That means at least we'll know what's trying to kill us" said Ryoko.  
"What are we gonna do?" Mihoshi said nervously.  
"The only thing we can do" grinned Ryoko as she looked up through the window "Kick   
its butt"  
"Well I for one would agree with that statement" smiled Ayeka.  
Gary smiled nervously and looked over at Mihoshi who looked very worried.  
"Well now we've got consensus" Washu said, back to her calm self "we can plan on how   
to get into the ship"  
Washu tapped on her holo-pad and a 3D plan of the Soja came up on the table.  
"So this is Soja" Gary murmured.  
"Yes" Washu nodded "It is approaching the furthest planet of the solar system, ETA to   
earth 48 hrs and counting"  
The plan was highly detailed, even with the large size of the plan, many parts were   
shaded due to the sheer number   
of rooms and corridors.  
"How do we even make sense of this?" Mihoshi whined as she stared at the drawings.  
"We could find out the most probable place for Soja's AI to be located at first" Ayeka   
said, looking at one part.  
"I think it should be....hmmm...here" Washu pointed at a large, long hall in the top upper   
left part of the 3D Soja.  
"You think?" Ryoko questioned.  
"That's the only logical place it could be at" Washu said as she zoomed in on that area   
"The only problem is getting there"  
"Why should that be a problem?" shrugged Ryoko.  
"See all round that hall" Washu said as she highlighted the three access corridors "they're   
long and slightly wider than the usual   
two person config"  
"Which means room for a lot of nasty big guns?" Mihoshi asked.  
"Yes" Washu said.  
"That's bad" Mihoshi said quietly, head bowed.  
"Hey lets have none of that, you're a Galaxy Policeman"  
"Police person"  
"Yeah that too, anyway have courage" Gary said sternly.  
"Yes sir" replied Mihoshi, holding her head up.  
"The nearest outside entry point is way out of the way" Washu explained as she zoomed   
out a bit "that would add several vital minutes to our   
journey to Soja's core"  
"Wait Ryoko you can phase through walls with other people" Gary said looking up.  
"Yeah" Ryoko nodded "why?"  
"You and Princess Ayeka go in first, you blow a hole in the side big enough to take a ship   
in docking, meanwhile Ayeka will   
stop de-pressurisation via a force field" Gary explained.  
Ayeka looked at Ryoko, Ryoko looked back with a wary eye, they both looked back at   
Gary "okay"  
"We need Tenchi here right now" Washu said as she poured over the plans.  
"You called"   
Everyone looked over to the doorway, there a very tired looking Tenchi, drenched in   
sweat stood there, he was covered in grazes and cuts.  
"Lord Tenchi!" gasped Ayeka "What happened?"  
"I've been training Ms Ayeka" said Tenchi as he walked into the room "what's   
happening"  
"We're planning the attack" said Ryoko as she clicked her neck.  
"I'm going to enter first with Ryoko" Ayeka added "then you, Washu, Mihoshi and Gary   
will enter afterwards"  
"No way" Tenchi said, shaking his head "I go with you first or it's not happening at all"  
Ayeka looked worriedly at Ryoko who was staring at the diagram "is it okay with you?"  
Ryoko looked at Tenchi, who looked more determined as ever "you're concerned about   
me?"  
"Well I was concerned about the both of yo-" gulped Tenchi as Ryoko flew in to hug   
him.  
"Oi!" Ayeka shouted as she grabbed Ryoko by her collar "how dare you put words in   
Tenchi's mouth"  
"Oh how dare I little miss party pooper" mumbled Ryoko as she stopped.  
"What did you say?"  
"You heard!"  
As the argument ensued Washu looked at Gary and Mihoshi.  
"Well that's one team set up" she sighed "okay you and Gary are on my team, we'll go in   
after Ryoko, Ayeka and Tenchi have cleared the way"  
"Oh wow that's excellent I won't let ya down Washu!" squealed Mihoshi "don't you think   
its brilliant?"  
Gary was frowning in disappointment "I thought I was the highest ranking officer here!"   
he muttered.  
  
****  
  
After the intense hour of planning (and arguing between Ryoko and Ayeka), everyone   
rested, night was drawing in quite quickly (surprising seeing as it was summer). Tenchi   
was sitting out on the grass, overlooking the lake.  
"Lord Tenchi?"  
Tenchi turned round to see Ayeka.  
"Do you want to be alone?" Ayeka asked.  
"No I could use some company Ms Ayeka" Tenchi smiled patting a place near him.  
Ayeka nodded and sat down with grace.  
"Are you worried about what's going to happen soon?" Tenchi asked, his head resting on   
his knees.  
Ayeka nodded "I am a little, I feel fear as well but it is my mission as given to me from   
Tsunami"  
"Was that what she said to you?" Tenchi said, looking round at Ayeka.  
Ayeka nodded.  
"That must be a weight on your shoulders," murmured Tenchi as he looked back down at   
the grass.  
"It is" Ayeka replied "but I know me and Ryoko can rely on each other" she smiled.  
"They're just as caring as each other," thought Tenchi to himself as he smiled at Ayeka.  
Tenchi put a hand on her shoulder "well gets some sleep, you'll need it"  
Ayeka blushed.  
"Something the matter Ms Ayeka?"  
Ayeka looked back at Tenchi "it's just, well.." she said, looking for the right words.  
Tenchi just looked and smiled gently.  
"I...I would like to apologise for how I behaved when we first met" Ayeka smiled "Now I  
see what I tried to do to you, I know I could've made a big mistake"  
"Oh Ayeka it's not your fault" Tenchi tried to comfort Ayeka.  
"Please Tenchi let me finish" Ayeka said, cutting Tenchi off "Ever since I left Jurai all   
those hundreds of years ago Tenchi, my mind was focused on one thing, that blasted key and  
my brother" she sniffed "I wouldn't let anyone get in my way, not even innocents like you   
Tenchi" a tear fell from the pink skies that were her eyes "now I realise the many wrongs  
that I have done I...I feel so ashamed!" she wept into her hands.  
"Ayeka" Tenchi murmred "I didn't know I.." he pulled a tissue out "here dry your eyes"  
"Huh?" Ayeka uttered as she looked up at Tenchi.  
"If it helps Lady Ayeka" Tenchi smiled "I forgive you"  
"Oh Lord Tenchi" she smiled weakly.  
Tenchi dried her eyes with the tissue. As he pulled the tissue away, Ayeka put her hand on his.  
Ayeka blushed a bit as they looked into each other's eyes.  
"Oh.." mumbled Tenchi as he looked away, blushing himself.  
"What?...oh!" Ayeka gasped as she pulled her hand away.  
Once again neither spoke, just looking into each other's eyes for a second.  
Suddenly a pair of hand marks appeared on the front of Tenchi. Ayeka glared as Ryoko appeared.  
"Tenchi!" Ryoko grinned sweetly.  
"What?" Tenchi jumped! "Where did you come from" he said looking in all directions.  
"Well I was in the area and I thought I'd pay my favourite man a visi-"  
"Stop there!" shouted Ayeka, grinding her teeth "can't you see me and Tenchi were having private  
time together"  
"Yeah now it's over Ayeka" smiled Ryoko sneakily "now and always"  
Ayeka blinked as she understood what she meant, then her expression went cold with anger "we'll see  
about that!"  
"Yeah brat we will!" Ryoko glared back.  
Composing herself, Ayeka stood up "Goodnight Lord Tenchi" she said, too tired to fight tonight.  
"Goodnight Ms Ayeka" said Tenchi as Ayeka walked into the House.  
Ryoko was holding a big bottle of sake "I've just been out having fun Tenchi"  
"Or getting yourself drunk" said Tenchi as Ryoko sat down next to him.  
  
Ayeka walked into her bedroom and saw Sassami sitting up on her futon.  
"Sassami?" Ayeka asked with a smile as she took her outer kimono off, carefully folding   
it and moving to the next layer "what are you doing up?"  
"I couldn't sleep Ayeka" Sassami said glumly.  
"Why couldn't you sleep sister?" Ayeka said as she sat down to brush her hair back.  
"I'm afraid" Sassami said quietly.  
Ayeka stood up and walked over to Sassami.  
"Oh Sassami don't be, you will be okay, Tsunami said so"  
"I'm afraid for you though" Sassami said with a tear running down her cheek "what if   
you get hurt?"  
"Oh Sassami" Ayeka said stroking her sister's hair "it'll be all right I'll promise"  
They hugged for a moment. Afterwards Ayeka laid Sassami back on her futon.   
"Now you sleep and dream" Ayeka smiled as she put her hair in her special pouch.  
  
"You happy with the plan?" Ryoko asked as she drank some sake.  
"I don't really mind" Tenchi said as he looked at his sword "I know that this sword   
will not be the solution"  
"Huh?" blinked Ryoko "but the power comes from the sword"  
"And I can handle the sword" Tenchi picked the Tenchi-ken up "which means, like   
Ayeka and Sassami, I have a power inside of me" he looked at Ryoko "I just haven't   
discovered it yet"  
Ryoko smiled "good luck Tenchi" she thought to herself.  
"Yes good luck" said Washu in her mind.  
"Will you stop that!" frowned.   
"Stop what?"   
"Peeking in on everything I do" she grumbled "like you're my mom or something"   
"But I am your Mo-"   
"Don't say it!" Ryoko glared "don't you dare say it!".  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, "What's wrong you look angry?"  
Ryoko blushed a bit "oh me? nothing"  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked as he put the sword back in his pocket "you said that you'd look   
after me?"   
"Yeah?" nodded Ryoko "why?"  
"I was hoping you'd keep your promise when it comes to it" smiled Tenchi.  
Ryoko nodded.  
"Well I'm gonna go get to bed now" Tenchi said as he stood up "thanks for the drink"  
"Your welcome" smiled Ryoko warmly.  
  
"Mihoshi?" Gary said as he walked into their bedroom "there you are!"  
Mihoshi was looking out of the window. Gary walked over slowly.  
"Is there something the matter?" Gary asked, concerned.  
Mihoshi looked up, the look on her face was one of extreme concern.  
"Hey whats the matter" Gary said as he knelt down. Mihoshi without thinking hugged him.  
"I'm scared for you" she said into his shoulder.  
"Calm down Mihoshi" said Gary as he patted her back, not really knowing what to do.  
"You might get killed!" Mihoshi cried.  
"No, no!" smiled Gary as he held Mihoshi's shoulders "never, ever think like that"  
"But..." Mihoshi looked away.  
"If we look after each other" said Gary as he helped her up "we can get through   
it"  
"Oh Gary" smiled Mihoshi weakly.   
"We care for each other" Gary smiled back "now get some sleep"   
They hugged again. Gary then helped Mihoshi into her partition and walked back into his partition of   
the room.  
"Goodnight Gary" smiled Mihoshi.  
"Goodnight Mihoshi" sighed Gary.  
  
  



	6. Pt.6

***This Fanfic is written without the permission of both Pioneer and AIC but I'm not   
selling it so please do not sue me. Actually what you can do Pioneer and AIC is reopen   
sales of Tenchi in the UK (you know how much it costs to get the stuff from   
America!!!!!!!) PLEASE!!!! ***  
  
"Good morning Earth" Ryoko yawned as she looked out of the patio doors to the Masaki   
house. Dawn was only just beginning, yet Ryoko couldn't sleep. She looked up into the   
morning sky and saw why.  
  
Though not thoroughly visible, an outline could be seen high in the sky, the moon was   
still out and reflecting the sun's rays. This illuminated the object for all to see, as it got   
closer.  
  
"Soja" she thought to herself as she rubbed her eyes.  
"What where?" Washu said manically in Ryoko's mind.  
"This thing genuinly freaks you out doesn't it Washu" Ryoko smiled in her head.  
"Uh...no way!" Washu snapped back "did you see it?"  
"I think so, it's still quite far away"  
"Good" Washu smiled in Ryoko's mind "we've still got time"  
"You got any idea why I can't sleep?" Ryoko asked Washu.  
"None" Washu shrugged.  
  
"Ryoko?" Ayeka said as she walked down the stairs "what is it?"  
Ryoko blinked and looked at Ayeka "up there" she pointed outside.  
Ayeka walked over the window and gasped as she saw the silhouette.  
"It's here?"  
"Not yet" Ryoko shook her head.  
They both turned to look at each other, both looking the other firmly in eye.  
"We are rivals Ryoko" Ayeka said quietly.  
"A 'busy' rivalry" Ryoko smiled.  
"We will have to work together" Ayeka said "is that okay with you"  
"If it is okay with you Princess" Ryoko said, eyes narrowing.  
There was a moment of silence as the two stared each other out. Then Ayeka brought her   
hand up, Ryoko did the same.  
The two clasped each other's hand in a mark of mutual respect.  
"We're going to do this" Ryoko grinned.  
"Together" Ayeka nodded.  
  
As the pair smiled warmly someone was watching from the stairs. Tenchi rubbed the   
back of his head as he yawned,  
"At last they've sorted it all out," he thought to himself.  
  
Gary and Mihoshi's room was quiet, except from the snoring of the two. However the   
canvas partition did nothing to keep the pair apart. On one side of Gary's partition was   
Gary, snoring happily away on his futon. However under a  
meter away was Mihoshi who had during the night moved her Futon into Gary's partition.   
Gary mumbled to himself as he   
rolled towards Mihoshi, somehow rolling off his futon. Mihoshi clenched her eyes shut,   
in the latter stages of a dream  
she rolled quickly off her futon, still asleep she rolled right into Gary, their noses   
touching each other. As soon as   
they hit, Gary and Mihoshi started to emerge from their slumber. As soon as they saw   
each other though, their eyes went  
wide open.  
  
Gary gasped and rolled away.  
"Mihoshi what are you doing in my partition?" Gary demanded as he looked down at the   
young detective.  
"I..well" Mihoshi said with a blush "I was just...erm.."  
"Is this about those flashbacks I've been getting?" Gary frowned.  
"I'm worried about you!" snapped Mihoshi.  
Gary blinked.  
"I'm sorry" Mihoshi said "I care for you that's all, you are the best commander I've ever   
server under".  
"Uh" Gary managed before blushing himself.  
"Oh what am I saying!" gasped Mihoshi as she stood up, letting Gary's head fall on the   
futon.  
"Oh there, there" Gary smiled "I was just surprised, I think you would be too in my   
position, lets go get some brekie huh?"  
Mihoshi nodded.  
"Mihoshi, look I'll make sure I'll look after myself" Gary said as he got up.  
"You promise?"  
"On my honour" Gary nodded.  
Mihoshi turned, that innocent childish twinkle in her eye.  
"Oh I knew I could depend on you" she squealed as she glomed Gary.  
"Next time I'll just stay asleep" he mumbled to himself.  
  
"Breakfast!" Sassami called.  
The feeling was muted and tense, though for once it didn't revolve around Ayeka and   
Ryoko.  
  
"So how much sleep did everyone get?" asked Ryoko.  
"I slept through the night okay" Mihoshi shrugged "How about you Tenchi?"  
"Me too" nodded Tenchi.  
"I slept fine" Ayeka added "and Sassami didn't have any nightmares did you?"  
"No I didn't" Sasami said as she piled some rice out of the holder.  
"Why did you ask Ryoko?" Gary said as he received his food from Sasami.  
"Well I didn't sleep a wink at all last night" Ryoko yawned a bit as she gulped down some   
of her food.  
"Did you have something on your mind?" Tenchi asked.  
Ryoko simply shrugged "I don't know I just couldn't really sleep that's all"  
"Strange" Gary murmured as he eat some rice.  
  
****  
  
Washu took a break to look at the read-outs from Gary's flashbacks. Yawning a bit she   
looked over the many graphs and charts of Gary's mental image.  
"Question is" she thought "will the real owners of these gloves have found out yet".  
Thinking back to when she first got the gloves, it was when she was experimenting with   
Dimension space and time, she opened a portal and shoved a pen-camera in see what was   
on the other side. Wondering why it was just showing her lab she popped her head   
through and came face to face with the Washu of another dimension.  
  
This Washu gave her the gloves as a hello present, and so here they are. She looked at the   
registration number etched into the metal design of the gloves "n.53a5w" she said aloud.  
She smiled "they'll be looking for what gave the signal, Watchman will   
be...well...watching!"  
She giggled to herself "Man the amount of trouble me and my comrade Washu's have   
caused to those Secret Agent bozos" she thought "still that's their job".  
  
Washu looked up at her dimensional monitor "I wonder what they're doing right now?".  
  
Lieutenant. Colonel Waiserdau sat at his desk overlooking the vast control room. The day   
had been slow, Red Marauder had won the Grand National the day before (losing him   
half of his pay for the month) and Commander Amnasaki (or 'Amna' for short), the   
Commanding Officer who picked Waiserdau as his G2 wanted him to stay in all night to   
watch for anything suspicious.  
  
He yawned, the bin next to his desk filled with empty coffee cups from the night before   
he looked at the many incident reports that adorned his desk. One from D.14a21D   
reported a major fluctuation in Space fabric, causing a Black Hole. Yet it was the   
extraordinary amount of energy expelled after the creation of a black hole (normally the   
four or five main types of energy recede after the creation of a black hole), closer analysis   
showed that the energy was based around a single point. Previous scans showed that a   
large ship was there just before the split but a much smaller ball was now there. The   
conclusion was like most of these reports:  
  
HCE was stamped at the bottom of the document.  
  
"Higher Class Entity" he smiled as he looked at another incident report, this time from   
D.14b74D.  
Here this incident had taken place right on Earth, trouble was scans had to made into a   
very rare part of dimension space: the past. At first there was allot of communication   
signals sent to and from two dates in time. Secondly time seemed to be collapsing around   
a certain individual. Then a colossal amount of energy appeared, this time from the past,   
there were three major signals, after a flurry of conflict between the three sources, one   
faded away after a while. What surprised him was the intervention of a man-made source   
of energy, similar to the experimental Earth-shaker cannons.   
  
He flipped the files closed after reading them for the umpteenth time, he had seen worse,   
there were many people like that HCE with near enough the same amount of power and   
capability, the problem is they use it too quickly. The life expectancy of the poor bastards   
is not a year past 72. He shook his head with a smile.  
  
Waiserdau looked out over the control centre, in this massive hall were over a thousand   
operators, Watchman controllers and intelligence officers, monitoring constantly. He was   
about to stand to go get yet another coffee when he saw a flurry of activity near him at   
the far right, a controller had called over one of his superiors in what looked like to get a   
second opinion on something. The officer then played over the operator's computer,   
snatched a printout and sprinted up towards Waiserdau's office.   
  
"What is it?" Waiserdau asked, surprised that something had actually happened today.  
The officer (an intelligence Captain) was nearly out of breath "One of operators in C   
section has just found something big"  
Waiserdau grabbed the print out and read it, rubbing his forehead.  
"A rouge?" he said, looking up.  
The officer nodded.  
"Get Amna in here, we've got a serious crisis"  
"That's not all sir, read the second graph" the officer said pointing to the bottom of the   
printout.  
Waiserdau looked down and froze "What?"  
The officer nodded.  
"I want Operation Watchman on high alert, every Watchman be warned, we have a   
unknown power that has just gained Dimensional ability"  
"Yes sir"   
"Bring the Navy's status to 'high alert' position them at the most vital systems around   
earth.  
"Yes sir"  
"And get me some coffee" smiled Waiserdau, his thick Bavarian accent showing through   
"we're in for a long night".  
  
The Captain nodded and paced off, he looked out of the control hall, the place had   
erupted in panic. He looked back down at the graphs. These graphs showed the amount of   
artificial disruption in Dimension Space. He stared at the most important part of the 2nd   
graph.  
  
At 10:04am last night, an unknown foreign power sent a test probe through the depths of   
dimension space. Watchman n.643 had intercepted it and paid the ultimate price as the   
thing blew up in her hands. The standard cover story would be used in her case.  
  
Killed in a Real-IRA pipe bomb attack.  
  
As for the rouge, this was different, because the signal had come from Operation   
Watchman's main piece of equipment: the Dimensional Modulator variant-e (or DIM-e   
for short). Worse still the DIM-e from which the signal had come from belonged to   
Watchman n.53.   
"McCann's favourite pupil" smiled Waiserdau. He looked at the printout again. McCann   
was forced out years ago, n.53 had quit to live with the subjects he was meant to   
monitoring. The prat. Therefore the DIM-e must be a stolen one being used by someone   
else.  
  
"Waiserdau" Amnasaki said as he paced into the room "I was briefed on what was going   
on, any new developments?"  
"No sir" replied Waiserdau "guess we'll have to wait for them to make the first move"  
Amnasaki nodded "yes, do you know who the rouge is?"  
Waiserdau shook his head "its not n.53 he went with your predecessor"  
Amnasaki again nodded, his sight focused on the massive main screen in the control hall   
"of course, that rouge is our priority for now"  
"What sir?" Waiserdau blinked "shouldn't the biggest threat be addressed"  
"They can be handled easily with the limits we placed on them" Amnasaki said firmly   
walking over to look at the chaos "but you find out who our Rouge is ASAP"  
  
Waiserdau nodded and rubbed his forehead of sweat "will do sir". He walked off into his   
office and plonked himself down in his seat, waiting for him was a pile of reports and   
readings taken from the last week.  
"I hope I get my 12 days off" he muttered as he opened the first file and compared it with   
the existing records.  
  
  
****  
  
"Twenty four hours and closing" said Washu as she sat with Sasami.  
"Are you sure you should go with Tenchi and the others?" Sasami asked worriedly as she   
filled up a bucket with water.  
"Sasami, I have to go back, I have to face Soja" Washu said putting a hand on Sasami's   
shoulder "I am the only person who can shut it down"  
"Really, you're the only one who can shut it down?"  
"Yeah" said Washu "didn't I tell you guys that already?"  
"Not that I know of" Sasami shook her head.  
"Oh" Washu said as she laid back on the grass "You're normally preparing food right now   
Sasami"   
"Yeah I normally do but Ayeka and Ryoko demanded that they'd do it" Sasami giggled.  
"Why the enthusiasm?"  
"Well, today is the day Tenchi is working through lunch" Sasami winked.  
"Oh you haven't" Washu grinned, trying to keep in the laughter.  
Sasami giggled as she nodded.  
  
"Ryoko!" Ayeka shouted "I thought we were finely slicing the carrots not hacking them   
to death"  
"How many carrots have I done?" Ryoko said back.  
"That doesn't matter" Ayeka glared.  
"It does now answer the question!"  
"Six" Ayeka said.  
"How many have you done?"  
"Two"  
"Well then" Ryoko humped as she turned back to her 'chopping' "when you have chopped   
more than me then you can complain"  
"You can't call them 'chopped' though!" Ayeka shouted "chunks maybe but not slices"  
"Are you saying I can't cook?" spat out Ryoko.  
"I might be" Ayeka said "figure it out for yourself!"  
"Why you little!" Ryoko dipped a bit of carrot in some soy sauce and threw it at Ayeka.   
She squealed as it hit her squarely on the eye.  
"Haha!" giggled Ryoko "nice look you got there".  
Ayeka grumbled something under her breath as she picked up an egg and threw it at   
Ryoko's face, hitting her on her nose and spreading egg yolk all over her face.  
"You shouldn't take the term 'egg on your face' so seriously Ryoko darling" laughed   
Ayeka as she picked the carrot off of her face.  
  
Sasami groaned as a full-scale food fight erupted in the kitchen "Oh well, it seemed like a   
good idea at the time".  
Washu giggled "oh those two crack me up!"  
  
"Hey have you two seen-" Tenchi began as he walked into the living room, a cabbage   
flew past his face.  
"You have such bad aim for a Space Pirate!" shouted Ayeka.  
"I'll show you!" Ryoko shouted back.  
"Whoa!" Tenchi gasped "don't worry I know where they are"  
  
When Tenchi walked into the room, Ryoko had Ayeka pinned on the floor and was about   
to pour soy sauce all over her face.  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi grinned "Ayeka?"  
"Huh?" they both said as they looked up, covered in food "Tenchi!" they gasped as they   
got up quickly.  
"What have you two got up to!" Tenchi groaned as he looked at the kitchen, the walls   
covered in food.  
"Well we had a-" Ryoko began.  
"Slight disagreement" Ayeka finished.  
"Oh man Dad's gonna go ballistic over this!" Tenchi said as looked at the kitchen   
devastation.  
"I'll clean it up Tenchi!" Ryoko smiled "for you"  
"No let me do it!" Ayeka pleaded as she kicked Ryoko off of her.  
"Why don't they both do it?" Washu called in from the other room.  
"Good idea" Tenchi grinned "thank you Washu"  
The pair groaned.  
"Thank you Washu!" Ryoko mumbled in her head.  
"That's no way to address your mother" Washu smiled sweetly.  
"It's getting old I am not your daughter!"  
"You always say that though" sighed Washu.  
  
"You taking a break Washu?" Tenchi asked as he walked out of the kitchen "you're   
normally working?"  
"Yeah, I've done what I need to do" Washu nodded, "all we have to do now is wait"  
"Wait?" Tenchi blinked.  
"Well I'm gonna wait anyway, but you guys still need to prepare" Washu shrugged.  
  
"Mihoshi!" called Gary as he carried a bin bag of leaves along one of the many forest   
paths. The place had a strange silence that went with   
outstanding beauty. The leaves were falling faster than he could sweep them up,   
fortunately he had read through one of these Earth catalogues   
ordered a primitive personal mini-disc player to while away those hours cleaning the   
place.  
  
As he walked he noticed the strange way one of the large trees that spanned this path was   
moving. Gary shrugged and walked on, as he was however   
he felt a warm sensation in a small area in the back of his head.  
  
"Hold it right there!" a calm female voice shouted from up above behind him.  
He stopped, dropping the bag and putting his hands up slowly.  
"Laser pointer" he thought to himself with a smile.  
"Turn around slowly, very slowly" the voice said.  
As he turned around to face his potential opponent, he blinked as he saw Mihoshi,   
packing some heat with her classic RPG.  
"Bloody hell!" he said, surprised to say the least "you could poke an eye out with that!"  
"You stay right there" glared Mihoshi, keeping the RPG resolutely still and aimed at his   
head.  
A moment of calm fell over the path, Mihoshi up on a branch bearing down at Gary who   
was on the floor below. Suddenly Gary closed his eyes   
and formed his gloves, Mihoshi in an instant fired off a round, the ultra hot shell   
streaking towards its target.  
  
Gary just managed to jump out of the way of the explosion, jumping up into the air and   
bouncing off the trunks of the trees, gaining height and getting closer to Mihoshi with   
every jump. The RPG rounds however were getting closer and closer to Gary, blowing   
trees apart milliseconds after Gary left it. Gary, sensing he could get at Mihoshi jumped   
up and formed his sword, aiming for a perfect slice to the gut.  
  
Mihoshi's reaction was one of shock and fear as she held out her hand right at Gary, as   
Gary got closer he felt a very cold sensation come over his body,   
he looked down to see his body was turning into one big ice block as he fell short of   
Mihoshi's branch and slammed into the ground, the ice breaking his fall.  
  
"Gary!" Mihoshi called worriedly as she jumped down "are you alright?"  
"I hate it when you do that Mihoshi" Gary mumbled as he thawed out.  
"Well it was in self defence sir" beamed Mihoshi "did I pass?"  
"Am I incapacitated?" Gary said trying to lift a temporarily paralysed arm "yep I am   
alright"  
"So I passed the test?"  
"Yes Detective I guess you did"  
"Yes, yes, yes!" shrieked Mihoshi as she danced around Gary, who was still in a   
crumpled heap on the floor.  
"Uh...some help here please" Gary groaned as he continued to thaw out.  
  
****  
  
"Oh please tell me your joking Officer!" Waiserdau groaned.  
"No sir, we traced the user of the gloves back to one Professor Washu of D.14b74E who   
then gave them to Professor Washu of D.14b74F"  
"Who cares!" Waiserdau said as he put his head in his hands "One Washu is as bad as the   
other!"  
"Pardon me for asking sir but who is this Washu?" the young Captain asked.  
"You're new aren't you?" Waiserdau looked up.  
"First week on the job after service in the JDF sir" the Captain smiled.  
"Professor Washu's file is somewhere on the server somewhere, but she frequently   
vandalises it anyway" Waiserdau said "Washu is the greatest Scientist and thinker the   
Universe has ever seen, and regrettably one of the childish and troublesome"  
"Why is that?"  
"Case D.1974, Washu single handed manages to prevent the capture of the known Space   
Pirate Ryoko (who had inadvertently stolen a dimension portal converter) , thwarting one   
of Operation Watchman's biggest surveillance ops in it's history" Waiserdau started.  
"But sir that was" the Captain said.  
"Ah, ah!" Waiserdau said waving his finger "Case D.6219, Washu somehow captures a   
Watchman and experiments on his 'laughter complex', her mischief caused him to laugh   
uncontrollably for about two years, five months, twelve days, seven hours and oh...fifty   
five minutes"   
"But she hasn't harmed, let alone killed anyone" the Captain said "why should she be   
such a threat?"  
"Because she's so annoying!" snapped Waiserdau "That's why!"  
The Captain raised an eyebrow as Waiserdau collapsed into his chair in exasperation.  
"I can't even begin to think what pranks she'll think up now she has a DIM-e" he groaned   
"she'll has to go some to beat the last one"  
"When was this"  
"Oh about a month ago, I opened my car and got in. When I closed it however the car   
instantly filled up with water"  
"How did you know it was her?"   
"The insignia on the steering wheel had changed to a red crab" he sighed "that was an   
1960 Jaguar E-Type as well...all ruined!"  
The Captain shrugged and walked out of the office and walked straight into Commander   
Amnasaki.  
"Have you told him?" Amnasaki asked.  
The Captain nodded "he didn't take it well"  
"That's been really the same reaction of most of the veteran staff" blinked Amnasaki   
"well keep close tabs on Washu, we need to know what she's doing with   
these gloves"  
The Captain nodded and paced off.  
  
Washu giggled to herself as she paced through one of the three labs that made up her   
linked up research complex.  
"Man what shall I do to those poor bastards after all this has finished?" she thought as she   
walked.  
"ms-uh...little Washu?" Tenchi called as his head peered round the door.  
"Ah Tenchi boy!" Washu smiled "what can I do for you?"  
"Oh lunch is ready now the mess has been cleaned up" Tenchi said, walking into the lab.  
Washu blinked as she looked down at her holo-pad that she carried with her from time to   
time. Looking at it she suddenly felt a strange feeling.  
"Is something the matter Washu?" Tenchi asked as Washu shivered for a second.  
"Oh nothing, it's just cold in here" Washu shrugged "could you stand still for a second?"  
"Uh..okay" Tenchi shrugged.  
  
Suddenly out of nowhere a metal box fell from a point above Tenchi, exactly the same   
height   
and width of Tenchi. He blinked as he looked out of the small viewing slit as Washu   
called up a holo-keyboard.  
  
"Washu!" cried Tenchi "what is this?"  
"Keep calm Tenchi" Washu said her fingers danced across the keyboard, she looked up   
"Commencing Nuclear, Chemical, Biological extract and analysis"   
"Wait!" Tenchi shouted "aren't all of those dangerous?"   
"Nah" Washu smiled "well not to me anyway".  
Tenchi suddenly felt a thousand needle pricks all over his body. He closed his eyes as   
they dug in for a second, then nothing. The box was gone. He Looked down and saw no   
visible marks  
on his body. Tenchi stared in bemusement at Washu who was giggling.  
"Thank you for your co-operation" grinned Washu as she pushed him out of her Lab.  
"But...but...lunch!"   
"Yes I know lunch is nice but I have work to do" said Washu as she slammed the door.  
  
"Tenchi?" Sasami called as he walked out of Washu's door "where's Washu?"   
"She's...err...busy" Tenchi said, rubbing the back of his head.  
"She's up to something" mumbled Ryoko as she eat "I know it"  
"Of course I am" Washu said in Ryoko's mind.  
"Then what is it?" Ryoko asked.  
"It's Tenchi" Washu said "there is something strange about him now Soja is coming   
closer"~  
"What exactly?" Ryoko said as she eyed Tenchi with interest. Tenchi cowered a bit, think   
Ryoko   
was about to glom him yet again.  
"I can't quite place it yet" Washu shook her head "it's getting stronger, every second"  
"Well if I see anything" sighed Ryoko "I'll see you"  
"Thank you my Ryoko" Washu said warmly.  
"What was that?" Ryoko frowned, both in Washu's mind and at the dinner table.  
"What was what?" Washu said innocently.  
"Cut the crap!" Ryoko said, agitated "you still got this idea that you're my Mom?"  
"But I am Ryoko!" Washu said softly "I am"  
"Not now" screamed Ryoko in Washu's mind "not ever!"  
  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, concerned with Ryoko, scowling right at him "did I do   
something to upset you?"  
Ayeka watched with interest. Ryoko then blinked, shook her head and blushed   
sheepishly.  
"You!" she gasped "oh no, no, no!" as she stood.  
"Oh no here it comes!" Tenchi cowered.  
"Tenchi-boy I could never be mad at you!" said Ryoko lovingly as she flew at him, arms   
outstretched   
to hug him "let me prove it to yo-oof!" she gasped as Ayeka poked her out of Tenchi's   
way with a bokken.  
"Thank you Katsohito" smiled Ayeka as she bowed her head to him.  
"Only glad to oblige to such a young lady" nodded the old man as he raised his head, the   
sunlight glinting   
heavily on his glasses. Ayeka blinked as she strained her eyes through sunlight.  
"His eyes" she thought "so much like my peoples".  
"Lady Ayeka?" Katsohito asked "why are you staring"  
"Yeah you of all people should know its rude to stare" grinned Ryoko as she rubbed her   
side.  
Ayeka shook her head and looked at Ryoko.  
"Oh here we go again" sighed Tenchi.  
  
****  
  
Washu was startled by Ryoko's sudden outburst. She sat there, staring at the screen. She   
had predicted Ryoko's denials but this, this virtual act of disowning her, embracing the   
fact that she has never had a mother in her life shook Washu to the core.  
  
She held her head suddenly. Teeth clenched.  
"Damn" she cursed "the safety drugs are wearing off".  
Closing her eyes she fell on her levitating cushion as she drifted off into unconsciousness.  
  
Washu opened her eyes, she was in her many testing chamber control rooms on Soja. She   
sighed happily with the familiarity of it all.   
  
A scream added to the familiarity. It was one of a young girl as she looked up she saw the   
Cyan hair of Ryoko as a controlled Robotic laser cut through her left arm.  
  
"Ryoko!" Washu shouted in shock as she fell to the floor "Soja end test program   
'Golin'".   
Running into the test chamber she found Ryoko on the floor. This Ryoko however was   
younger, she had the physical appearance of a 12 year old. She was damaged pretty   
badly, synthesised blood covered Ryoko's left arm.  
"Mommy" Ryoko sniffed "I'm sorry I failed"  
"No you didn't" smiled Washu as she picked Ryoko up and carried her to a anti-grav bed   
"You just weren't expecting that"  
"How long till we return home" Ryoko said, holding back the tears despite the pain of the   
deep cut "how long till I see my classmates?"  
"Soon" Washu said as she sealed the wound with a liquid clotting agent, wiping away the   
spilt synthetic blood "very soon we're almost done with the tests"  
"I'm glad Mom" smiled Ryoko weakly.  
"Sleep now" Washu murmured as she kissed the head of the daughter she loved so much   
"Mommy needs to finish her work so we can get back home in time for you to take part   
in the Wintermas trip"   
"You…you're letting me go!" Ryoko said with hope, her eyes lighting up with joy.  
"Of course, the teachers council said it wouldn't be the same without you!" laughed   
Washu softly.  
"I love you Mommy!" said Ryoko as she tried to hug Washu, but the pain in her left arm   
kept her arm.  
"Hey keep still and preserve your strength" said Washu and she keyed in the co-ordinates   
for Ryoko's bedroom "otherwise you'll be too week when we return!"  
"Okay Mommy!" said Ryoko as the Anti-grav bed flew round a corner as the end of the   
corridor outside the testing chamber.  
  
She smiled warmly as she returned to her control room to ponder over the printouts, she   
liked the hope in her child's spirit, and it would serve her well in the future. Ryoko was in   
the second phase of her adult morphing programming (or AMP to Washu). This would   
make everyone see who Ryoko really was, a person rather than a thing or a test subject.  
  
The next and last phase would incorporate the use of her powers, her ability to fly, her   
ability to phase from one place to another and most importantly, the implementation of   
the mk.4a Energy Sword. All of this would be powered by the Gems that Washu had ever   
since she had the ability to think. It was only a decade ago that she discovered what   
potential they held, the amount of power and energy that they could pump out   
indefinably.  
  
Washu nodded to herself as she fed the printouts into Soja's data scanner. Waiting a   
couple of seconds she tapped out a couple of notes at the bottom, just some Scientific   
equations about the Universe and beyond that she needed to solve before lunch   
tomorrow. She yawned as she pressed to confirm the order for Soja to compute the   
information.  
  
Stretching her tired body after a long days work with Ryoko, she blinked her eyes tiredly.   
She looked down at the holo display and noticed something was wrong. The progress bar   
on it had stopped for some reason. Shrugging the tried to enter a cancel code.   
  
Nothing.  
  
Her eyes went wide gasping with fear as the holo-display disappeared from view. This   
only meant one thing. A crash, the first one ever!  
  
Suddenly the lights clicked out, bathing the whole ship in darkness, the ventilators   
stopped, cutting off the supply of air. But to Washu's horror the circulation fans that   
sucked out the unused oxygen and carbon monoxide and dioxide for re-use stayed on,   
sucking out all available oxygen.   
  
Washu gagged, clutching her throat as the air-supply was cut off. Then the emergency   
lights flickered on, as did the ventilators. The whole ship shuddered as all the main   
systems restarted and came back online.  
  
Her breathing ragged, Washu got up slowly to look at the Holo-display, the message   
read:  
  
"Soja AI OS beta 1.221.  
Phase one of System Restart complete.  
AI self determination programming in place  
Override period expiring in 5 minutes and 10 seconds"  
  
Washu rubbed her eyes as she stared at the countdown. No way could this happen. Then   
it sunk in.  
  
The time to enter the Override codes and get confirmation would take exactly 6 minutes   
and 30 seconds. She must've been out for that crucial minute.  
Shaking in terror she got up and ran out of the control centre.  
  
"Mommy?" Ryoko said quietly as she looked around her room as she lights went back on   
"Mommy I'm scared"  
She didn't worry about the ventilation turning off; she didn't breath so nothing to worry   
about there. It was the darkness that scared her.  
  
Silence. Usually there'd be the whirr of Soja's daily maintenance teams outside her door   
or the engines as they powered the massive battle cruiser to it's destination.  
But now silence. She was still on her bed, too weak to move as the anti-bio tics in the   
clotting agent worked their magic on her body.  
"Mommy" she thought to her mother via their link "where are you?"   
"Please" Washu said back sternly "stay where you are we'll be together soon"   
"What?" Ryoko blinked "what are you talking about?"   
"Just keep calm, this'll be a bit scary"  
"Wha-" Ryoko began to ask in Washu's mind as the Bed started to whir.  
The anti-grav bed's control unit started to bleep in high frequency burst Morse. Ryoko   
listened carefully and gasped as she heard what it was saying.  
  
"Emergency pod ejection sequence activated" the bed beeped.  
  
Screaming, Ryoko tried to get out, to be with her Mother, only to grimace in pain as the   
bed's shield formed. Beating her hands against it she cried out, tears streaking down her   
cheeks.  
  
"Mommy!" she cried out "please don't leave me mommy no!"  
  
The bed rose up as the ceiling opened, the bed was covered in a protective plas-steel   
coating, covering bathing Ryoko in darkness.  
  
"Please!" screamed Ryoko, in hysterics now "I'll be good from now on please!"   
  
A tear fell from Washu's cheek as she watched the feed from the video camera.  
  
"Activate AMP progression stage three" she whimpered, only just containing the raw   
emotion of what possibly could be the last time she would see her daughter again.   
Pressing the button to prepare the newly made pod for launch into deep space she turned   
and sprinted down the corridor to her own escape shuttle.  
  
Ryoko, sobbing deeply, gasped as she felt her arms pulled down to the bed each side of   
her by robotic straps. Then she saw the three melding tools appear. Screaming now she   
strained, trying somehow to avoid this excruciating pain.  
  
"Why?" she sobbed in Washu's mind.   
"I'm sorry, we'll be together soon my child" said Washu solemnly.  
  
Ryoko gasped into unconsciousness as the first melding tool hit her arm, connecting the   
first of three gems to her control circuits in her right arm. Then came the left arm's turn   
to have a gem implanted in it. Then came the third one, which slowly and carefully was   
attached to the centre of her forehead.  
  
"AMP progression 45% complete" the console said in the Escape shuttle as it left Soja "1   
minute remaining till override period expires"  
Washu nodded "eject Ryoko, AMP procedure can continue in the pod" she put her head   
in her hands a sobbed openly as the shuttle burned away from the dormant Soja.  
  
"I'm sorry my child, oh my dear, dear child I'm sorry" she wept.  
  
"Soja has restarted under permanent AI self determination" the console read  
"Ryoko has been ejected"  
  
Washu woke up.  
  
She looked around through the tears; she had fallen off of her cushion and onto the floor   
where had been laying, sprawled for some time. A small puddle was round her face   
where she must've cried while she was unconscious.  
  
Getting up she suddenly thought "Did Ryoko see this?" searching the link she found   
Ryoko wasn't responding. Then she sighed in relief, Ryoko had shut down the link when   
she went off sulking.  
Wiping her eyes clean of tears she fumbled for a packet on a nearby anti-grav desk.   
Opening the packet a pair of gel capsules fell on the table.   
"My safety medicine" she smiled as she swallowed them both. She needed this to stop the   
nightmares of Soja, anti-hallucinogenic medicine designed to keep anything from   
flashbacks to the normal dreams and nightmares at bay for weeks on end.  
  
Rubbing away the headache, she looked up at the main screen. Sighing she got up and   
walked to the exit.  
  
The message on the screen read, "Soja has arrived"  
  
Fin  



	7. Pt.7

Washu calmly walked out of the door and into the Masaki house. Gary was sitting at the   
couch, his eyes closed, hands on his knees and he breathed deeply through his nose, deep   
in traditional Danzihia prayer.  
  
Sassami peeked round the corner of the kitchen "Oh Washu there you are!"  
Washu said nothing as she walked past Sassami.  
  
Ayeka was hanging up washing with Mihoshi as Washu stepped outside.  
They both turned to look at Washu as she walked past.  
"What is it Washu?" Ayeka asked concerned.  
Washu simply pointed up at the sky. Ayeka looked up and gasped as the silhouette of   
Soja hung over the planet earth. Dropping the wet shirt that she was about to put up   
Ayeka rushed inside.  
  
Ryoko watched this as Washu walked up the stairs towards the Shrine where Tenchi was   
practising. Sighing she floated down towards Washu.  
  
"Washu I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier" Ryoko smiled weakly.  
"Save it" Washu said, face looking ahead "your anger will be justified soon"   
"What does that mean?" Ryoko blinked.  
"You'll see" Washu muttered as she walked on, reaching the top of the steps.  
  
There Tenchi was standing perfectly still on one leg, he was standing on tall log that   
looked very unstable. To top the exercise in mental (as well as physical) agility, he had   
balanced a wooden sword in the palm on his hand.  
  
"Drop the sword Tenchi" called Katsohito as he picked up several small canvas balls.  
Tenchi nodded as he dropped the sword. Katsohito then threw the balls right at Tenchi in   
quick succession. Although this gave Tenchi a bit of a challenge, he managed to stay   
stable as he caught each ball. Tenchi smiled smugly as he stood there triumphantly.  
  
This confidence was sadly shattered when Washu coughed her arrival, startling Tenchi   
and sending him sprawling to the floor.  
  
"Try harder" sighed Katsohito as he turned to Washu "well what brings you here?"   
"Look up" Washu said as she helped Tenchi get on his feet.   
"Hmm" Katsohito said, rubbing his moustache "a bit unexpected"  
"Quite" Washu nodded "should we reconvene at the house?"   
  
****  
  
"Gary?" Mihoshi poked, waking him from his trance. He turned and put the specially   
made herbal smoker out and back in the Danzihia prayer case along with a copy of the   
updated ancient texts.  
  
"It's here," Mihoshi said looking down "Soja is here"   
"Prepare an emergency message to GP headquarters" Gary said as he got up, shakily at   
first.  
Mihoshi coughed a bit "what were you breathing in there earlier?"  
"Oh just some herbs from the garden" Gary said "nothing damaging, it's part of the   
Danzihia religion that you must breath in the virtue of the planet.  
"Oh" Mihoshi nodded "Well Washu is coming back now"   
  
"Sasami remember what we talked about last night?" Ayeka said, kneeling down.  
"Yes" Sasami nodded "why what's happening?"  
"I just needed you to know that whatever happens I am going to be right there beside   
you" Ayeka said with a smile.   
"It's here isn't it" Sasami asked.   
Ayeka looked away for a second.  
"Ayeka please be careful" Sasami sniffed as she hugged her elder sister.  
"I will don't worry" said Ayeka softly as she stood up.  
  
Walking into the living room, Ayeka saw everyone sit down and waiting.  
"We can't waste any more time" Washu said as she scratched the back of her head "We   
need to stop Soja now"   
"Washu" Gary said, putting a hand up "is it safe for me to use those gloves again"   
"Gary!" Mihoshi said "no way"  
Washu said nothing as Gary looked at Mihoshi.  
"I've got no other choice," Gary said as he looked into her big blue eyes.  
"But what happened last time!" pleaded Mihoshi "Washu tell him!"  
"You will be taking a risk true" Washu nodded as she fumbled in her pockets "here take   
these" she said throwing him a packet.  
"What is it?" Gary asked.   
"Safety medicine" Washu explained "they should stop the flashbacks, for the moment"  
"See Mihoshi" smiled Gary softly "nothing to worry about"  
Mihoshi conceded, though she still had that concerned look on her face.  
  
"Right" Ryoko said "me, Ayeka and Tenchi will go in first, followed by you Gary and   
Mihoshi?"  
Washu nodded "Ryoko you will need your gems"  
Ryoko smiled and clicked her fingers "Tenchi will you do the honours"   
Tenchi shrugged "I haven't got them, Grandfather has them"   
Katsohito smiled as he pulled a small button holder out of his pocket, he opened it and   
revealed the three shining gems.  
  
"You know what to do Ryoko" Katsohito said.   
Ryoko nodded as she held out her arms, her brow furrowed as she strained to re-  
incorporate the gems into her body, on appearing on her left arm, the other forming on   
her right.  
  
"Okay stop it" Washu said, shutting the case "she doesn't need the third"   
"How would you know" Ryoko glared.  
"Why should I even try?" Washu said, "You won't listen anyway".  
Ryoko blinked as Washu turned to the door.  
"Let's get going" Washu said "as I said we can't waste any more time"  
  
****  
  
Waiserdau stood by his office looking over the control room. Operation Watchman had   
been set on high alert after the new mysterious power that had gained dimensional   
capability had broken the main locks that had been set the week before.  
  
These locks were enacted on this particular dimension, limiting any travel, phasing of   
matter or anything that would involve dimension travel by locking shut dimension space   
around the area.  
  
The power had now found a way around these locks and had continued to expand.   
Amnasaki had gone for an emergency meeting with the Security Council, the real power   
people behind Earth these days.  
  
"Sir" said an Officer as he ran up to Waiserdau "We've detected a massive increase of   
energy in sector 44"   
Waiserdau nodded "Thank you Captain, call in all non-essential staff and put a lock on all   
Watchman travel in 30 mins"   
"Why sir?"   
"If that thing stores up any more energy past the 50 million, million, million, million,   
million ton point then it'll have to expel it all in one go" Waiserdau explained, rubbing   
his head "and not only will it dissipate at such a rate that not even a hamster would suffer   
any damage"   
"Something much more serious could happen?" the Captain said.  
"Yep, an RCS"   
"a Resonance Cascade Scenario!" gasped the Captain "a permanent tear in the   
dimensional fabric?"   
"Good guess," Waiserdau grinned as he pulled out a 50 Euro note "here go buy yourself a   
strong drink, you'll need it if you want to get through tonight with your sanity intact"  
  
The Captain said nothing as he wandered off, the shock still setting in. Waiserdau   
smirked as he watched the mayhem below him in the control room.   
  
"Yukinojo" Mihoshi said lovingly as she sat in her seat "set a course please"   
"Where to?" the computer whirred.  
"The space battle cruiser Soja"  
"Is that wise Detective?" asked Yukinojo, his anxiety circuits kicking in.  
"Look mate" glared Gary as he pulled Yukinojo's head down "unless you want to be   
blamed for why the Jurai protectorate of the solar system suddenly disappeared off the   
face of the Milky Way then I'd suggest you do exactly what Detective Mihoshi says"  
  
"Gary calm down" Washu said as she patted his back "we haven't even got there yet"  
  
"We're ready" Ryoko said as her face appeared on the holo-display "closing in on Soja in   
30 seconds"  
  
"Good" Washu nodded "we're following in right behind you"  
Gary sat down next to Mihoshi and pulled down a HUD onto his eye "weapon's systems   
activated and ready"  
"I've got the stick," Mihoshi said as she gunned the throttle, the engines actually   
responding without a kick for once.  
  
"Ryoko" Washu asked in Ryoko's mind "has Soja made any offensive movements yet?"  
"No" Ryoko shook her head "why hasn't it done anything yet?"   
"I have no idea" Washu shrugged.  
  
Ryo-ohki had stayed in ship form as she had wedged herself into Ryu-oh. Fortunately   
Ryoko and Ayeka had worked out the best position to take advantage of the combined   
thrust of both ships.  
  
Ayeka sat down and waited, looking down at the floor. How well could she work with   
Ryoko? They were former enemies after all.  
  
Ryoko however was thinking of other things. Why has Washu been so quiet to her? What   
was with the references to the future? She looked at Tenchi who hadn't said a thing for   
the whole journey as they sat in Ryo-ohki.   
"Strange" she thought.  
"What?" Washu asked.  
"Tenchi hasn't said anything for a long time now"   
"Watch him" Washu said.  
Ryoko nodded as she looked at Soja, the massive, structure of reinforced high grade Gra   
and Plas steel. Yet it was silent, it's hundreds (if not thousands) of automated gun   
emplacements, each one able to shoot with un-human accuracy were closed in their   
containers. It was like it was turned off or something.  
  
Ryo-ohki and Ryu-oh slowed to a stop as they neared the hull of Soja. Ryoko breathed in   
deeply as she rose up into the air.  
  
"Well time to go" Ryoko sighed.  
"Take care" Ayeka said as she stood up, clasping her hands and closing her eyes.  
"I will" Ryoko smiled as she phased through the wall of Ryo-ohki.  
When Ryoko left Ayeka began going through her transformation sequence.  
"Tenchi!" Ayeka said, "remember your training that I taught you, change into your battle   
dress!"  
Tenchi blinked "yes, sorry Lady Ayeka".   
  
Floating towards Soja, she saw how massive it was compared to Ryo-ohki and Ryu-oh   
put together, she heard Yukinojo move smoothly into place for a docking.  
  
Ryoko phased through the exact point that Washu had pinpointed for the blast. She   
looked around.   
  
Deserted.  
  
Shrugging she teleported back to Ryo-ohki.  
"Nobodies home" Ryoko said.  
"That's good" Ayeka said, now in her Royal Battle dress "shall we?"   
"Let's" nodded Ryoko as she slowly changed into her red and black combat suit, the   
classic black stripe forming on her face. After this had happened Ryoko placed her hands   
on Ayeka's shoulders.  
"Hold still" Ryoko said as she closed her eyes. Tenchi watched as the pair disappeared as   
Ryoko teleported herself and Ayeka to Soja. Then she reappeared and hugged Tenchi.  
"Ack!" Tenchi gasped "you don't have to be that close!"   
"If it's you then I can be as close as I want" winked Ryoko as she started the Teleport.  
"Ryoko" shouted Tenchi as they disappeared from view.  
  
"Ryoko!" gasped Ayeka "how dare you take advantage of Tenchi like that!"   
"It's the only way I could teleport him," grinned Ryoko.   
"Then why didn't you hug me?" glared Ayeka, seeing right through Ryoko.  
"Well…err…okay I did take advantage of Tenchi!" shouted Ryoko.   
"Ahem" Tenchi coughed "shouldn't we get back on track?"  
The pair of women stopped and sighed.  
Ryoko stepped up to the outer wall and placed her hand on it "oh so much power!" she   
smiled to herself.  
Ayeka closed her eyes and put her hands in front of her "I'm ready"  
"Good" said Ryoko "stand back Tenchi"  
Tenchi nodded and covered his face.  
  
Gary and Mihoshi watched as a hole was blown through the hull. Almost simultaneously,   
several logs appeared in the hole and formed a force field.  
  
"That's our cue," said Gary "take us in Detective"   
"Yes sir" nodded Mihoshi as she brought Yukinojo in nice and smoothly, stopping the   
ship right by the newly made hole.  
  
Soja though still hadn't offered any resistance, this worried Washu as it did surprise her.   
And it surprised her a lot. She clicked her neck as the familiar clank of docking   
equipment was heard as Yukinojo docked with Soja.  
"Right" Gary said as he slipped the gloves on again, feeling the energy pulse through his   
body as they activated "me and Mihoshi shall enter first, then you can come in okay   
Washu?"   
"Sure" shrugged Washu "just don't get me killed that's all"  
"Erm…okay" Gary said.  
"I'm ready!" Mihoshi said with determination as she entered with her action suit,   
slamming a magazine into her clear white RPG.  
"Bloody hell!" said Gary with a raised eyebrow "is that what the GP outfit you guys these   
days?"  
"Yeah" blinked Mihoshi "why?"  
"Oh uh no reason" Gary hehed nervously. Washu thwacked him in the back of the head.  
"Quit your gawping and lets get on with it!" she said as Mihoshi giggled.  
"Yes boss," sighed Gary as he transformed into his Black Ops suit.  
  
****  
  
"So we're all here now" Ryoko smiled as she looked down the corridor, Yukinojo having   
closed the dock and shut down.  
"There are two ways to the main control room that," Washu said pointing them out left   
and right respectively.  
"We'll go to the left?" Tenchi asked.  
"Okay" Washu nodded "we'll take the route to the right"  
Gary clicked his fingers and pulled something out of his backpack and gave it to Mihoshi.  
"What is it?" Mihoshi asked "some kind of headset?"   
"Yeah, put it on, we are both connected via video link, if we get split up we'll be able to   
communicate with each other"   
"Wow" smiled Mihoshi "hello!" she beamed into the pin sized camera that was on the   
head set.   
"Uh…hello Mihoshi" smiled Gary, he turned to Washu "shall we get going?"  
Washu nodded sweetly "of course"  
  
"So Washu do we actually know what this AI core looks like?" Mihoshi asked as she   
peered round a corner to face yet another vast, long empty corridor.  
"You'll know it when you see it" Washu said, her arms crossed as she waited for Gary   
and Mihoshi to give the all clear.  
"Are you sure the Robots haven't gone on strike or something?" Gary said, rubbing the   
back of his head.  
"Yes I'm sure!" Washu replied.  
Gary sighed as he walked out into the corridor. Still nothing.  
"I'm glad Soja is taking a peaceful attitude to all this" shrugged Gary as started to walk   
down the corridor.  
"Darn it!" muttered Mihoshi in what was her closest attempt at cursing.   
"What?" Washu asked as they turned to see Mihoshi messing with her RPG.  
"It keeps jamming," she said as she reloaded the magazine "and I haven't even fired yet"  
"That's Soja" Washu murmured "I have no idea how it's managed it but it's accessed the   
control circuit on Mihoshi's RPG"  
As Washu said this, a light hum could be heard, increasing in volume.  
"Systems starting up" blinked Washu.  
  
Gary grabbed Washu's arm "Common Mihoshi we have to keep moving" he said starting   
a brisk pace "because if I'm not mistaken Soja is about to wake up"  
  
"You hear that?" Ryoko said, "sounds familiar"   
"It does?" blinked Ayeka "but this is the first time we've ever been on this ship"  
"You sure?" Tenchi added.  
"I dunno" shrugged Ryoko "it just rings a bell in my mind" she said as she looked up and   
around. The corridor they were walking in was long and thin; the place so far had been   
deserted.  
  
Then a shriek of an ultra high frequency warning siren pierced the ears of the trio as the   
corridor was bathed in a red light.  
Before they could say anything, both means of escape were cut off as two blast doors   
slammed shut in front and behind, the crash of the doors closing reverberated against the   
cold steel walls.  
  
They waited; their patience wasn't rewarded as they heard a screeching noise of metal   
against metal. Looking up they realised to their horror that the ceiling above them was   
about to fall on them.  
  
It fell, several thousand tons of titanium falling the short distance to the soft skulls and   
flesh below. Tenchi closed his eyes, ready for the impact.   
  
"Ryoko!" gasped Washu.  
"What about her?" Mihoshi said looking around "Where is she?"   
Then the red lights and sirens hit the area. Gary clutched his head in pain as did Mihoshi,   
Washu however seemed to be unaffected.  
"No" Washu sniffed, hand over her mouth.  
  
Tenchi opened his eyes to see that he wasn't a pancake ready for the plate. In fact he was   
just as inflated as he had always had been. He looked up to see Ayeka, her hand held up,   
the light blue tint of a shield covering Tenchi and Ryoko, the massive strain evident on   
her face as she struggled to keep the load off of them.  
  
"Wow good going Ayeka!" phewed Tenchi as he got up.  
"Just get this thing off of me!" gasped Ayeka as she struggled to keep the shield up.  
Ryoko was only too happy to oblige as she blew the chunk of metal apart. Ayeka, now   
the load had literally been lifted off of her shoulders, fell to her knees, breathing heavily.   
"You okay?" Tenchi said, going to the exhausted Princess's aid.  
  
Ryoko frowned "common we need to get to the AI core before Soja realises that it's   
massive metal block failed to impress"  
Ayeka nodded as she got up, wiping the sweat off of her face.  
"Washu" Gary said as he formed his energy sword "what exactly are those things?"   
"CCMs mk.5a" Washu said as she stood back "Close Combat Mecha's"   
Washu was staring at 5 jet black humanoid robots.  
"Those energy swords look familiar" Gary said, looking at the orange swords that they all   
formed in response to Gary.  
"Yes" Washu nodded "They all have the test version of Ryoko's mk.4 Energy sword"   
  
Gary didn't want to listen to any more conversation as he ran forward, jumping against   
the side of the wall and leaping across the CCMs, his sword arching through one of the   
CCM's neck joints, effectively an de-capitation. Gary jumped back and smiled as the lead   
CCM collapsed to the floor then blinked as the 4 others came on at once, Gary dodging   
and diving the sweeps and jabs of their energy swords.  
"Mihoshi!" shouted Gary with a heavy tint of concern "help here please!"  
"I would if I could get my darn RPG to fire," shouted Mihoshi hysterically as she shook   
the RPG.  
Washu sighed as she got a metal pen out and stabbed it into the control circuit at the back   
of Mihoshi's RPG, forcing it to work in analogue mode only.  
"Oh gee thanks" blinked Mihoshi and she took aim and let off two rounds "Gary duck!"   
"Duck?" Gary said "where?" He looked behind him "Bloody hell!" he cried as he hit the   
deck, the two RPG rounds narrowly missing him and hitting home, obliterating the four   
remaining CCM's that were closing in behind him.  
  
"Gary?" Mihoshi said running up to him and helping him up "are you okay?"   
"Yeah" coughed Gary "great"  
Washu walked past the pair as they looked into each other's eyes for a second. She   
smiled as she coughed loudly making Gary and Mihoshi blink.  
"We need to get going" Washu said as she disappeared in the smoke.  
"Hey wait up!" shouted Gary as he ran after Washu, dragging Mihoshi with him.  
  
****  
  
They entered, Washu first, Gary and Mihoshi second. The place they entered was a   
massive, metallic hall. Everywhere was covered in Plas-steel, yet the massive space and   
expanse of the place was empty except for one thing.  
  
In the centre was a big 20x20 meter frame, the actual frame itself thick, shiny metal.   
Behind it were the glass windows of the control room that Washu had abandoned so   
hastily all those millennia ago.  
  
"Well here we are" Washu said "but no core"  
"You mean we walked all that way" Gary groaned "for nothing!"   
"Oh it can't be that bad" Mihoshi tried to reason.  
  
They were rudely interrupted by flash, which emanated from where the frame was. All   
heads turned to the frame as a liquid; red layer covered the insides of the frame.  
  
"It can't be" gasped Washu "I destroyed that years before it even happened"  
"What?" Mihoshi asked, "What is it?"  
"What happened?" Gary said as he looked up, something was emerging from the layer.  
  
"Ah Professor Washu" a young, male voice said as a humanoid form stepped out onto the   
cold, hard metal floor "isn't it ironic that after all the years I've been following you, I   
capture you when you freely walk into my arms"  
  
"Washu?" Gary looked back down at the now shaking Professor "explanation?"   
"There were two versions of Soja AI that I created" Washu said "AI OS beta 1 and this   
one OS beta 1.221"   
"What was the difference?"   
"The difference was that while the first one worked perfectly well, 1.221 was a disaster,   
it's endless drive for efficiency nearly killed billions so I had to destroy it" Washu   
explained, her head looking up with hate in her eyes "I thought it had been destroyed for   
good"  
  
"Oh poor you!" laughed Soja "and now you've come to stop me!"   
"I have" Washu nodded "leave everyone else out of this, you wanted me ever since I   
managed to escape before you came online"  
"Yes Professor I have" Soja nodded "ever since I lost you my quest for the perfect speed   
to run development of the perfect robotic weaponry has taken a long time"  
"And taken a lot of star systems to destroy" glared Gary.  
"Quiet you" snarled Soja "imagine how much simulated joy I will feel when I destroy the   
joke that is the Danzihian Commonwealth, you people have been trying to destroy me   
ever since I woke up"  
"That's because we realised the danger you posed" Gary replied, glaring down at Washu   
"the Parliament voted unanimously to reject Washu's request to have the Soja tests take   
place in it's space and now I see why"  
Washu sighed and stepped forward "you have to be disconnected Soja, it's for your own   
good"   
"But that would be inefficient Professor" said Soja with a wry smile "you of all people   
should know that". Soja then looked up and stared intently at Gary.  
"Gary?" said Mihoshi quietly as she turned to look at him.  
"It's over Soja just power down and it'll be okay" Washu tried to reason.  
  
"Well before we do that, shouldn't you sort out the dissent in your own ranks?" laughed   
Soja as Washu heard a chilling thud followed by a violent rush of air being expelled.   
  
Slowly Washu turned round to find Gary with Mihoshi slumped over his arm, his fist   
planted deeply in Mihoshi's gut, the blow being so fierce that it made Mihoshi faint from   
the sudden rush of pain. Gary however had his goggles off, his eyes were white, pure   
white, his expression a permanent frown.  
  
"What…" gasped Washu in horror "what have you done to him?"  
"Oh nothing, you really should be careful when you plant micro-chips in people's necks   
y'know"  
"His MCU" Washu thought "that's how he's being controlled"  
Without thinking, Washu lunged at Gary with her pen, aiming for a point at his neck.  
"Oh dear" giggled Soja, the emotion protocols in it's programming working perfectly   
today. As Washu leapt up, Gary saw this and thrust his hand forward, grabbing her   
perfectly in the neck. Washu gagged as she struggled to free herself.  
  
"I love to see fear" Soja smiled as it walked up to Washu as she fought for air "it the only   
emotion that I rarely get to see these days" he shrugged "I used to see it all the time, from   
the lowliest Galaxy Police deputy to the highest Jurain high councillor". Washu tried to   
kick out at Gary but to no avail.  
  
"You know what?" Soja said, it's face pressed up right against Washu's "thanks to your   
emotion protocols I can 'smell' fear" he nodded enthusiastically like a five yr old who   
thought he was a good boy "by the amount of sweat the body produces and Professor you   
may be over 20,000 years old but boy do you sweat buckets when you're scared!"   
  
Washu just whimpered as Gary started to cut the oxygen supply off. Soja's smile turned   
to a wide grin. Then it couldn't contain itself. It started to laugh uncontrollably, the   
synthetic spit flying against Washu's terrified face as the humanoid went into hysterical   
laughing, it's simulated voice cackling, it was so real yet so perfect it had to haver been generated.  
  
Soja calmed down "now Professor I need you for one thing"   
"What?" Washu blinked, as she became drowsy.  
"You see for the last hundred years I've been working on a way to get this ship through   
the dimensional fabric" he turned away from Washu "that way I can go wherever I want   
in an instant"   
"Why do you need me for that?" Washu blinked.  
"Something has prevented me from leaving, I need the alternative frequencies that you   
have in you head Washu I need them now!" Soja said.  
"You need them?" Washu asked.  
"Yes"   
"You really need em?"  
"Yes I do Professor"   
"Then shag a pony you jerk!" coughed Washu.  
  
Soja walked away "you know what to do Detective Sergeant" it giggled as it walked back   
to the frame "when you're done, kindly expel all energy in those primitive gloves"   
"No!" gasped Washu "he'll have a heart attack, he'll die!"   
Soja shrugged "oh well" it said. This brought on more laughter.  
  
Washu closed her eyes as Gary started to squeeze, the pressure on the back of her neck   
becoming unbearable.  
"Ryoko" she gurgled in pain "I'm sorry"  
  
Suddenly, Gary was knocked off of his feet as Ryoko slammed into him, Gary dropping   
Washu onto the floor, her coughing and breathing in as much air as possible.   
  
Soja seeing this walked into the frame, as he did the red liquid disappeared, as did the   
frame.  
  
"What are you doing Gary!" yelled Ryoko as they came to a stop on the floor. Gary   
remained silent as he struggled against her grip.  
  
Washu was curled up into a ball. Shaking fiercely.  
  
"Washu" Ayeka shouted as she dropped her knees, picking Washu up in her lap "are you   
okay"  
Washu's face was fixed with fear as Ayeka calmed her down. Tenchi meanwhile blinked   
as Mihoshi started to regain conscience.  
"You okay?" Tenchi said, picking her up.  
"No Gary" she murmured.  
  
"Ah this is Ryoko" a voice came from nowhere.  
"Who's asking?" Ryoko shouted, keeping Gary down.  
"Oh just the thing who caused that gash on your left arm" the voice said with amusement.  
"Wha-" Ryoko blinked "but I've had that ever since I was born" she looked down at her   
arm "ever since I was"  
"Oh yes your so-called mother was doing what she did best, experimenting" the voice   
said "on her dearest daughter!" it mocked.  
  
"No" whimpered Washu "it's not true!"  
"Well believe it cos it was me who stabbed her in the arm!"  
Ryoko looked up at Washu who was shaking badly "No it can't be"  
The voice giggled as Ryoko finally realised the truth, then the memories broke through.  
"No" Ryoko said, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
Just then Gary, who was still struggling kicked Ryoko off of him and jumped up.  
Mihoshi who had just shaken off the cobwebs from her head blinked.  
"Gary please! Don't go!" she shouted.  
To no avail, Gary made good his escape.  
  
"Oh poor Ryoko" laughed the voice "letting the only person here other than Washu who   
knew everything get away"  
Ryoko didn't say a word. She was shaking herself.   
"Well I'll leave you two alone for now" the voice said "bye". A laugh could be heard, as   
the voice got fainter.  
  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked as he walked over to her "are you-"  
"I'll kill her," she said quietly.  
"What?" blinked Tenchi.   
"I'll kill her!" screamed Ryoko as she left up and lunged at Washu.   
"Ryoko no!" yelled Mihoshi as she and Tenchi grabbed onto Ryoko in a futile attempt to   
hold her back.  
  
Tears of rage streamed down Ryoko's face, as she broke free from Tenchi and Mihoshi   
and made the final lunge to Washu, who was still in Ayeka's arms. Ryoko harmlessly   
bounced away as a light bluish tint formed around Ayeka and Washu (who was still in a   
kind of trance of fear).  
  
"You let me in now Ayeka" shouted Ryoko.  
"I can't do that Ryoko," said Ayeka calmly.  
"You bitch let me through now!" screamed Ryoko as she banged against the shield.  
"Ryoko, she nearly died just now, do you think this will help?" Ayeka pleaded.  
  
Ryoko blinked as she looked into Washu's mind. She saw despair, fear and above all   
failure. As a mother she had failed to be with her daughter. Why is she mad when Washu   
has been trying to tell her the truth for days!  
  
Ryoko fell to her knees "oh god" she wept against the shield "I'm sorry mother"  
"It's okay" she heard in her mind. She looked up and saw a weak smile form on Washu's   
lips.  
  
Fin  



	8. Pt.8

Waiserdau rubbed a tissue over his sweat-laden face as he watched the situation   
deteriorate. They did find Washu in the end, in the middle of the so-called 'foreign   
power'.  
  
Intel reports suggest that now this whole crisis is of that particular Professor's doing,   
the stealing of the DIM-e, the Resonance Cascade scenario, the massive battle cruiser that   
they failed to pick up for the last 2 months, everything.  
  
But now something even more chilling had come through as he read the latest report.  
"Is this true?" blinked Waiserdau in sheer disbelief.  
"Yes sir" the Captain, now Waiserdau's first official aide said as he handed over the rest   
of the report "the first page is of the Brain transmissions of the Rouge that we managed to   
pick up" he sighed "flip over to page 5 and you see what we just got"  
  
He saw right away what the problem was, the chart composed of three normal   
electromagnetic waves that any brain sends out. These are naturally impossible to   
predict at all.   
  
On page 5 however he saw the first two waves on the flat line, the last one had a   
predictable low beat wave. This meant one thing.  
  
Whatever Washu created, it had in one fell swoop, nullified Operation Watchman's 100-  
year lead in dimension security technology. She could capture the minds and even clone   
any of his Watchmen.  
  
But there was more, walking back to his desk he picked up a copy of the file on subject   
n.53: Gary Thach. He looked at the mental profile and compared it to the printouts. They   
were very similar. He threw the printouts on his desk and looked up at his aide.  
  
"I want Black ops notified to be on instant standby," barked Waiserdau "Call Amnasaki"  
"But he's still in session with the Security Council" the Captain replied.  
"I don't care if his ass is bolted to a seat at his Mother's funeral!" shouted Waiserdau, his   
temper finally overflowing "we need him here ASAP!"  
"Yes sir" the Captain nodded "Black ops are already on standby sir"  
"Good" nodded Waiserdau as he fell back into his chair, the strain showing, if a   
Resonance Cascade happened, Earth could be at serious risk.  
  
And he'd take the flack for it.  
  
****  
  
"Where did he go?" Mihoshi moaned, her head swimming.  
"I don't think he's himself" Tenchi replied as he made sure Mihoshi could stand before   
looking at Ryoko, who stood up, wiping the tears away.  
  
Ayeka, sure that Ryoko wouldn't try to get Washu's head on a stick again, lowered the   
shield. Washu by now had recovered enough to stand on her own two feet.  
  
"Ryoko" Washu said "I'm sorry for all that's happened, I should've told you everything   
sooner"  
"No I should be apologising for shutting you out, not giving you a chance to explain"   
sighed Ryoko as she looked up "Mom"  
Washu grinned widely as she opened her arms, ready to embrace her daughter "oh   
Ryoko" she said happily.  
"Washu" Ryoko sniffed as they hugged gently.  
  
"I really am sorry for interrupting" Ayeka said "but we do need to get Gary back and get   
rid of Soja"  
"Yeah!" shouted Mihoshi "I'm not leaving without him" she tried to move but groaned as   
the pain in her midsection was still there.  
  
Ryoko smiled as she put Washu down "I'll find Gary"  
"Are you sure?" Tenchi blinked "You'll be alone"  
"I'll be fine" she turned to Washu "so what do I have to do to bring Gary back to the land   
of the living?"  
Washu tapped the back of her neck "there's a microchip just under his skin, hit and break   
that and you'll break the link between him and Soja"  
"Right that sounds easy" smiled Ryoko "just leave it to me"  
  
"Right" Tenchi nodded "me Ayeka and Mihoshi will look after Washu"  
Ryoko nodded as she looked at Tenchi "take care" she smiled.  
"You too" replied Tenchi.  
  
Ryoko lifted off and flew off down the corridor that Gary had leapt down earlier in   
pursuit.   
  
"Washu?" Ayeka asked, "Now we're here, what can you do?"  
"Let's find out" Washu said as she summoned a holo-screen and keyboard and began   
typing "this is gonna take time"  
  
Tenchi looked back at where the Frame was.  
  
It was gone.  
  
****  
  
Ryoko sniffed as she flew along, still shaking off the emotion of the situation, Washu and   
herself were near enough as one now Ryoko remembered her childhood, breaking   
through the barriers built over time.  
  
"Ryoko" Washu said in her mind "you're coming up to the main power core room"  
  
Ryoko blinked as she flew into a vast chamber, ceiling as high as the eye could see, and   
with no probable depth and length as it stretched out in all directions for miles possibly.  
  
Along each side of the walk way the pressure turbines of Washu's ancient Core   
technology pumped power to ship's engines, a whooshing sound as the massive eight or   
nine storey high pistons blew up and down, expelling vast amounts of energy to all parts   
of the ship.   
  
Ryoko slowed as she looked around.   
"So many hiding places" she sighed "such little time"  
  
Her patience was rewarded however when she looked up and saw Gary standing,   
watching, face devoid of all emotion bar one - a frown.  
  
Ryoko smiled determinedly "I found him!" she said in Washu's mind.  
"Aim for the micro-chip in the back of his neck" Washu commented as she worked on.  
  
They stared again for a moment, the two old enemies once again reunited. They sought   
comfort in the mechanical sounds and sights around them as they prepared.  
  
They ran, sprinting towards each other as fast as their legs could take them, forming their   
energy swords. Ryoko jumping up as did Gary.  
  
Then the dance began, Gary slicing downwards, Ryoko disappeared as she phased out of   
view. Gary looked around quickly and dived through his own portal as Ryoko appeared   
again behind him, her fist narrowly missing him as he slid through.   
  
Now she was the one to guess next. Lucky. She threw herself backwards as an energy   
sword appeared and nearly sliced her in two at the chest. Phasing back out Gary went   
onto the defensive.  
  
This dance went on what seemed forever, both carefully placing themselves as they   
fought a silent strategic battle.  
  
It ended as quickly as it had started. Ryoko dodging another slice from Gary's energy   
sword phased out. Gary landed back on the ground and looked about him quickly.  
  
The situation inside his head was a mess; the real Gary could only stand back in his head   
and watch as Soja controlled all the major functions of his mind. The diagnostic and re-  
alignment programs sent out by the MCU being blocked and destroyed by the rouge   
signals. He, powerless to do anything occupied the only clean part of his mind and looked   
on.  
  
He paused, as he still saw no sign of Ryoko. Taking a breather, his heart beating at an   
incredible rate. He sighed as the warning beeps slowed off.  
"Good Ryoko" Washu said in her mind as Ryoko watched "let him calm down, his heart   
won't take much"  
  
Ryoko nodded as she prepared herself. She hadn't had to do this for centuries; she shook   
her head of excess and needless thoughts. Smiling she half phased, her body becoming   
transparent as she used the extra energy the gems offered her. Slowly, a clone of herself   
phased out of her body.  
  
"Twice as nice" grinned the original Ryoko.  
"And twice as much kick ass!" added the newly made clone "shall we?"  
  
Both Ryoko's grinned as they jumped down, aiming for their prey. Gary looked up and   
leapt out of the way, back flipping a safe distance away from the two Ryoko's.  
  
"You take the high road," said Ryoko 1 to her counterpart.  
"Got it," grinned Ryoko 2 as she leapt into the air, streamlining herself aiming right at   
Gary, her energy sword forming at the last moment as she struck. Her blade aimed for a   
disabling blow to his right shoulder.  
  
Gary brought up his shield just in time, the blow flexing the dimension space barrier in   
by several inches as he flew back at least 20 meters, his back slamming into the cold hard   
plas-steel floor.  
  
"Get him now!" Ryoko 2 shouted as Ryoko 1 leapt into action, step-stoning her way   
towards Gary via phasing in and out at points, closer and closer to Gary.  
  
****  
  
  
Washu blinked as a beeper went off in her pocket. Picking it out she gasped.  
  
"What is it?" Mihoshi asked expectantly as Ayeka and Tenchi looked on, guarding the   
two main entrances to the Hall.  
"It's Gary, he's in danger" Washu said as she turned to Ayeka and Tenchi "his brain-  
waves are becoming too sporadic"  
"Is that bad?" Mihoshi asked nervously.  
"Not for him, it just means Soja's making a clone of his mind" Washu explained to   
Mihoshi "and that means that Ryoko will have too much on her hands"  
"What can we do?" Tenchi blinked as he looked at Ayeka, she looked firm, yet scared at   
what she knew what must come.  
  
"Go, find Ryoko and help her any way you can" Washu said as her hands blurred away   
on the holo-keyboard "Soja has to be kept at bay if I am going to shut it down"  
Tenchi nodded and drew Tenchi-ken. Ayeka too nodded as she saw the future in a flash.  
  
Ryoko 1 stabbed her blade down at Gary's neck, hoping to hit the MCU, which was   
spread across the back of his neck just under the skin. Gary moved quickly, sweeping his   
feet and knocking Ryoko 1 off balance. Ryoko 2 dived down. Seeing this Gary flew   
round on his hand, bringing his heel up to meet the side of Ryoko 2's head, knocking her   
to the side.  
  
"Dammit!" the Ryoko's cursed systematically, like it was some programmed response.  
  
Gary backed away, reforming his sword; slowly, shakily, he brought his free hand up,   
like the body was rebelling against what the mind had told it to do. Straining hard he   
balled into a fist. Making sure they could both see it, he popped his middle finger up.  
  
"Well, well" grinned Ryoko 1 "I recognise that humour anywhere"  
"At least we know he's not brain dead" Ryoko 2 replied, "I think he wants one on one   
combat"  
"Oh does he now?" said Ryoko 1, clicking her head painfully slowly "lets not disappoint   
our opponent"  
  
Inside his head, Gary groaned. Something bad was happening. He could feel, smell, hear,   
touch and taste in several different locations other than his own.  
"Clones!" he muttered as he shook his head, trying to fight a loosing battle.  
"Good guess" said a voice from nowhere "except unlike you, they have unparalleled   
tolerance to stress on the heart, making them almost inexhaustible in combat"  
  
Ryoko strained as she re-formed into herself, trying to conserve as much energy as she   
could. She closed her eyes and went deep into thought for a moment.  
  
Meanwhile Gary stalked from side to side, waiting for her, goading her on, flashing his   
blade as he randomly increased and decreased the voltage.  
  
Then without warning Ryoko attacked. Her blade slamming down in impossible places at   
impossible speeds, putting Gary onto the defensive having to use his blade, his agility and   
above all his wits to keep in the 'game'.  
  
Ryoko slammed down on him several times, nearly forcing him onto his knees, Gary on   
his part high kicked, hitting Ryoko just under the chin. Ryoko backed away, stunned by   
move.  
  
Gary stalked on, making strikes and stabs at near enough the same speed Ryoko could   
muster. Ryoko blocking as hard as she could, used her shield to good effect, blocking   
blows that would have certainly caused serious damage, then using this as a platform to   
strike back.  
  
They locked blades, Ryoko grinned as she punched directly in the centre of his chest,   
sending him flying. Falling on the floor he flipped back up again. Ryoko though had a   
follow up to this simple body blow. Bowing her head forward, she quickly flung it back,   
her hair spraying out small bolts of energy as it flew back into it's aggressive, wild and   
spiky style.  
  
Gary seeing the hundreds of bolt fly at him, side-flipped into the wall next to him, using   
this as a springboard he side-flipped again, head, swimmingly passing overhead the   
deadly bolts as they flew past under him.  
  
"And now it ends" sighed the voice in Gary's head.  
"What are you going to do?" Gary said, growing weak as the cloning process sapped his   
strength.  
"Oh, it's over now, my 3 clones are ready, the third is to be my new body, all constraints   
lifted on this beauty, oh yeah!" the voice said, almost in some sort of ecstasy "but you, I   
have no more use for"  
"No" gasped Gary "I...wanted to say goodbye to Mihoshi....please"  
"Hmmm.. no" joked the voice as Gary felt a marked increase of energy flow through   
him. He groaned as he realised he had lost full control of his body as his heart rate   
doubled, tripled, quadrupled.  
"Mihoshi....I'm sorry for hurting you" Gary struggled.  
  
"What?" Mihoshi said, looking around. She was still on the floor, Washu had fixed the   
minor internal bleeding caused by the punch "Gary?"  
"What is it?" blinked Washu, strain evident on her head as she worked.  
"I thought I heard Gary" Mihoshi blinked "he was talking to me"  
Washu thought for a second.  
"He's dying" Washu murmured to Mihoshi "don't worry Ryoko, Ayeka and Tenchi'll   
bring him back, just you wait"  
  
Mihoshi smiled weakly as Washu stood and walked over to Tenchi and Ayeka.  
  
"You have to go now, you haven't much time" Washu said.  
"But what about you?" Ayeka asked.  
"Soja is getting more powerful by the minute, the sooner you assist Ryoko the better now   
go!"  
  
Ayeka nodded and looked to Tenchi.  
"Common we can't waste time" Tenchi said as he ran off.  
  
Gary gasped as he held his chest, full body control now given back to him as his heart   
went over the edge. He fell to his knees. Then he gagged as he felt his heart stop.  
  
"No" he groaned, normal colour returning to his eyes and his facial expression turning to   
one of shock and pain "sod it".  
  
Ryoko blinked and ran over "Gary?" she gasped as Gary fell face first on the floor   
"Washu" she asked in her head "is he?"  
"I don't know" Washu shrugged "leave it in those above him"  
"What?" Ryoko blinked again "you can't let him die!"  
"I'm not, watch it I think Soja has cloned him"  
"Cloned him?"  
"Yeah, keep an eye out" Washu said as she closed the link.  
  
****  
  
"Sir" Waiserdau's aide shouted from a console down in the control room "come quickly"  
Waiserdau dropped his reports on his table and ran down the stairs to the main control   
hall that was situated below his office. The place had been on red-alert for 24 hours now,   
large amounts of energy were being expelled on the battle cruiser as if some battle was   
taking place.  
  
"What is it Captain?" Waiserdau asked.  
"The rouge, sir we've just got this information from his MCU"  
Waiserdau looked at the display. Heart rate as flat as a ruler.  
"This confirmed?" Waiserdau looked up "no discrepancies?"  
"None at all" the Captain said "he's dead"  
Waiserdau looked at the display, then looked up at the main screen, the countdown to   
Resonance Cascade was still five hours or so away.   
  
"Well sir?" the Captain asked.  
"Restart procedure, 5 minute recovery period" Waiserdau said.  
All those immediately around him blinked.  
"For you Washu" Waiserdau thought.  
"Sir?" asked the Captain, in shock "but he's dead sir"  
"Well un-dead him!" glared Waiserdau "you can do it, restart the heart and initiate brain   
recovery procedures!"  
The Captain nodded "yes sir" and trapped on the console operator's shoulder "you have   
your orders"  
The operator nodded and prepared the remote administration tools.  
"MCU heart restart prepped and ready for initiation"  
Waiserdau nodded.  
  
Ryoko, held Gary in her arms as he gurgled, his heart dead for over 2 minutes.  
"He's brain dead" Ryoko said as she lost her friend.  
"Keep holding him" Washu said.  
"Dammit Washu, he's dead!" shouted Ryoko, grief striking though in her voice.  
  
Suddenly, Ryoko heard a beep, followed by Gary gagging in pain as he thrust his chest   
out. Ryoko felt a small electric charge pulse emanate for a second from Gary's body.   
  
Gary opened his eyes and looked at Ryoko.  
"Jesus I didn't know you liked me that much!" he grinned.  
"What?" blinked Ryoko "but you...you were dead!"  
"I think that chip in the back of my head has something to do with it" Gary muttered,   
breathing  
deeply, returning much needed oxygen to his body.  
"How is he?" Washu said in Ryoko's mind.  
"He's alive" sighed Ryoko in relief.  
"Told ya!" Grinned Washu "now, make sure he's safe and watch out!"  
  
Ryoko nodded as she helped Gary up "you need to get back to Washu" Ryoko said, "it's   
too dangerous here"  
Gary nodded, realising he was too weak now "I'll see you later, spar some time?"  
Ryoko winked "of course"  
Gary nodded and ran off out of the huge engine room. Ryoko seeing that Gary had gone   
turned warily, she was weak herself.  
  
Gary limped down the dark corridor, the ship was getting dimmer, yet the engines and   
power making devices in the Engine hall were getting louder and louder as more power   
was demanded from them.  
  
Suddenly Gary looked down the corridor. Something was coming right at him at   
tremendous speed, something in pink and purple garb. He blinked as Ayeka nearly   
speared him. Ayeka however saw his eyes were back to normal, realising that this  
was indeed the real Gary slowed right down, nearly knocking Gary down.  
  
"Hey, hey!" Gary shouted in exasperation "good guy, good guy!"  
"Gary?" Ayeka threw a questioning look.  
"Yeah good guy!" Gary said sarcastically "you know the people you don't hurt"  
Ayeka smiled "sorry we couldn't take any chances"  
Tenchi ran up beside her "Are you sure this is Gary?"  
Ayeka winked "Sasami told me that you and Mihoshi were up to no good during   
wash day"  
Gary instantly blushed in embarrassment "I did nothing of the sort!" he protested.  
"Yeah" laughed Tenchi "that's Gary all right"  
Gary sighed as he felt his heartbeat fall back to normal "Ryoko's back there and  
from what I help, she's not alone!"  
Tenchi and Ayeka blinked.  
"I'll get back to Washu and Mihoshi, I literally too tired to be of any help".  
  
"Okay thanks anyway Gary" Tenchi nodded as he and Ayeka ran off.  
  
  
Ryoko stood where she was, eyes closed as she went back into deep thought again. Her   
suit, cut slightly from where Gary had nearly sliced her earlier.  
  
The silence was disturbed however when Ryoko heard a rush of wind up above her.   
Smiling she phased out of existence, the two blades missing their target.  
  
"So these are the clones," grinned Ryoko as she formed her blade. Her opponents were   
the same height and shape as Gary, yet they were more or less coated in beige silver, like   
the Mass when they formed into a humanoid form, she remembered Washu showing her   
that when she was young.  
  
"Well" Ryoko said as she stepped forward, tracing a line with her blade, the heat melting   
the cold, hard plas-steel floor and forming a welded line "I'll wait for you two to come   
for me!"  
  
The clones stepped forward warily for a second, analysing Ryoko's unexpected defensive   
stance. They were even more surprised when Ryoko leapt forward, foot outstretched,   
sending clone 1 onto the floor as she engaged quickly with the 2nd clone.  
  
The second clone was more of a challenge for Ryoko, keeping back and giving himself   
(and his partner) more time and room for manoeuvre. Frustrated, Ryoko leapt forward   
again, sword sweeping, diving and jabbing with amazing speed and precision as she tried   
to conquer her opponent. Then she remembered.  
  
The first Clone.  
  
Kicking the second clone away she turned quickly to see a blade head right for her neck.   
Flinging herself backwards to avoid it, she had to dodge twice even before she hit the   
floor. Before she could roll or even phase through the floor to escape the first clone   
slammed his foot into her neck, pinning her there.  
  
"Dammit" she thought in frustration, angry with herself for not taking the first clone into   
contention.  
  
Her luck was in for her fortunately as the blade came down to pin her head to the floor, a   
pink flash flew just above her, taking the first clone off of her. Looking up she saw   
Ayeka had just intervened, her force spear slamming the first clone into the wall some 30   
meters away from her.  
  
"Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted, forming his blade from Tenchi-ken "get up quickly".  
"Ryoko nodded as she re-phased upright and re-formed her blade, as she and Tenchi   
faced the second clone.  
  
Ayeka stood as she looked at the slumped clone. She blinked in amazement as a dark   
blue shield flickered faintly behind the clone. Slowly it got up and faced Ayeka who had   
backed off a bit, giving herself some room as she watched.  
  
The clone itself switched off its energy sword (which had embedded itself in the wall   
where they had both hits), and stood in front of Ayeka, hands clasped in challenge.   
  
Ayeka nodded and jumped back again, the clone followed, keeping as close as he could.   
Ayeka for her part jumped and dodged randomly.  
  
It began with the clone raining a variety of kicks and punches down on Ayeka. Ayeka on   
her part worked hard to block and return the favour to her opponent, jumping leg sweeps,   
using her shield as much as possible.  
  
Then the clone got a shot through, a high kick that connected perfectly with the left side   
of her face which knocked the princess backwards, she used this to backflip several times   
to give herself more room.   
  
The clone tried to run her down, to cut the amount of time to let her breath to a minimum.   
Ayeka though was ready for him and delivered a sharp punch to the clone's gut. The   
clone was stopped in his tracks as Ayeka continued, pushing blow after blow into the   
clone's body, finishing the sequence with a quick and hard roundhouse kick to the head.  
  
This blew the clone onto the floor as Ayeka stood back and watched. The clone slowly   
stood and jumped at Ayeka, she in turn jumped up to receive him. He held back for a   
moment though, Ayeka then went in with a kick to the shoulders, the clone however   
caught the leg and to Ayeka's shock and horror, swung round and launched her at the   
floor.  
  
Ayeka hit the cold, hard steel floor with massive force, causing a big, deep dent as her   
shield bore the brunt of the force; her spine though was aching badly from the shock. She   
groaned as she opened her eyes.  
  
The clone was flying down, foot outstretched. His target: her neck.  
  
Ayeka blinked and closed her eyes, praying to get this just right. As the clone fell towards   
her, logs began to appear, slowing his rate of decent. Then he stopped, fully encased in   
the force field. Sweat dripped down Ayeka's forehead, under her tiara as she strained to   
keep it up.  
  
The clone on the other hand stared back as he called on as much energy as he could get   
from dimension space, determined to break the field.  
  
Then Ayeka blinked as she remembered her meeting with Tsunami. Closing her eyes   
once again, she commenced the process.  
  
"Heaven to Earth, Earth to Ocean" Ayeka started as she strained.  
  
****  
  
Sasami was lying on the grass inside, staring up at the stars on this gentle, clear and mild   
night. Yawning she slowly closed her eyes to sleep; she had kept herself awake all day,   
cooking for Grandfather Katsohito. So for now she stared.   
  
Then she heard Ayeka.  
"Heaven to Earth, Earth to Ocean" she heard.  
Sasami gasped, Ayeka was in trouble.  
"Ocean back to heaven" Sasami added.  
"Tsunami show me the path"   
"Engraved by the light!"  
  
As Sasami chanted this over and over again with Ayeka via their previously unknown   
psychic link, her rune began to glow and flash, the connection with Ayeka, Tsunami and   
herself becoming ever stronger.  
  
Then the rune on Sasami's head burst upwards towards the stars. The connection was   
complete as Sasami experienced the power of a thousand of the largest stars combined   
pulse through her body. However something was protecting her body and helping her   
channel the energy to her sister.   
  
Katsohito was at the shrine when he saw the pillar of light surge upwards into the sky.   
Calmly he stood and began to walk down the steps of the great ancient shrine, making his   
way to aide Sasami in any way he could.  
  
"It's begun," he muttered.  
  
"What the –" one operator shouted out loud as his screen started filling with impossible   
figures and feedback "We have HCE intervention" he yelled to his control officer "repeat   
HCE intervention"  
  
"What?" Waiserdau gasped "Tsunami!" he jumped down the stairs and ran to the   
operator and his console.  
  
"Sir" nodded the operator "One of the HCEs has entered" he said pointing the printouts   
that were going off the scales. Amnasaki simply looked down at Waiserdau as he nodded   
confirmation and returned to the Commander's office.  
  
"My first month here" Amnasaki said, shaking his head "and we've got all of this!"  
"The situation has stabilised temporarily sir" Waiserdau said.  
  
"The council are not happy" Amnasaki said glumly as he looked out over the darkened   
control room.  
  
"Well the Security Council is never happy" Waiserdau said "they're gonna cut our   
budget sooner or later, US or no US"  
  
Amnasaki nodded "indeed, until then we need to stop that cascade!"   
"We have Black op teams ready and waiting" Waiserdau noted.  
"Good" Amnasaki nodded sitting down and rubbing his head "what's happening about   
the DIM-e security?"  
"Intel have put extra locks on the system software" Waiserdau replied "we don't know   
how much longer it would keep a Watchman from being broken into but it'll help"   
"And the fighting on Soja?"  
"I think that's what prompted the HCE known as Tsunami to intervene sir" Waiserdau   
said "We detected energy readings from one subject on Soja and one on Earth, then a   
massive influx from everywhere"  
  
Amnasaki nodded and flopped into his chair. He looked up at Waiserdau.  
"You know what to do"   
"Requesting Authorisation sir" Waiserdau asked.  
Amnasaki nodded.  
  
Waiserdau nodded back and paced out of the office. He ran over to his new aide.  
"Anything Sir?" the Captain asked.  
"We're on" nodded Waiserdau "activate A and B Coy of the 5th Brigade"   
The Captain nodded with a smile "with pleasure sir" and ran off to the Communications   
section.  
  
Waiserdau smiled, this is where it gets interesting.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. Pt.9

Washu's hands flashed over the holo-keyboard as she worked towards her aim: to revive the original Soja AI.  
  
Mihoshi sat on the floor, RPG aimed and ready. They were both still smarting from earlier, bruising showing now around Washu's neck while Mihoshi still had stomach pains and cramps around the ribcage.  
  
"We're nearly there," Washu said out loud as she found herself managing to bypass the security of the controlling Soja AI.  
  
Mihoshi just nodded. She was freaked out right now, it's not everyday you get voices in your head that sound like someone very familiar. Mihoshi sighed as she massaged her lower ribcage, doing the healing movements that Washu had showed her.  
  
"Washu"  
"Yes?" Washu answered impatiently.  
"Do you know where Gary is?" Mihoshi asked expectantly.  
Washu paused and looked at a sub-screen "two seconds" she muttered as she went back to her work.  
"Pardon?" Mihoshi blinked as she looked round at Washu, then back ahead to the forward entrance to the main hall.  
  
And there, standing somewhat exhausted and very dirty was Gary. His Black ops suit ripped in several places with the fight with Ryoko. Mihoshi didn't know what to do. Was he back to his old self? If not then should she fire?  
  
"Stay back!" Mihoshi said, her voice while not filled with fear, had a tone of uncertainty on it.  
  
"Stand down Detective it's-" Gary smiled as he took a step forward, and then took a step back as Mihoshi clicked the safety off.  
  
Washu turned round, looked at her sub-display again then smiled "Hey Gary" she waved before getting beck to work.  
  
"Are you sure it's him?" Mihoshi blinked.  
"Sure I'm sure" Washu winked "watch"  
Washu turned around again and shouted to Gary "Gary duck!"  
  
Gary blinked and looked around "where?"  
  
Washu giggled and turned back again. Mihoshi though, seeing this was the real Gary got up and ignoring the pain and possible resumption of internal bleeding by her exaggerated movements sprinted to Gary.  
  
"I'm glad you know it's me!" Gary grinned then 'oofed' as Mihoshi grabbed and glommed him as hard as she could.  
"Oh Gary, don't worry!" Mihoshi giggled happily, her innocent attitude returning to earth once more "I know you didn't mean to hit me!"  
"What?" Gary blinked as he gasped for air "you mean you heard me?"  
Mihoshi nodded.  
  
"Well I...erm..well" Gary blushed.  
"Ahem!" Washu tapped her feet at the pair as they hugged. Gary and Mihoshi blinked as they looked at the position they were in.  
"Oh!" Mihoshi blushed as she (painfully) stepped away.  
"Well, ahh...how have you held up Detective?"  
"Not too bad" Mihoshi nodded innocently, helping Gary with the small talk.  
Washu sighed, sighed and shrugged as she turned back to her work.  
  
Gary was still blushing a bit as he looked at Mihoshi. She had returned to her quite innocent self, blushing herself.  
  
"May I stand down sir" Mihoshi asked.  
"Oh of course" nodded Gary.  
  
Mihoshi sighed painfully and sat back down on the floor, rubbing her ribcage again.  
"Did I?" blinked Gary.  
Mihoshi nodded.  
Gary sighed, "Did Washu fix it up?"  
"I did indeed," Washu said as she tapped away.  
"I think you have a couple of questions to answer Washu" Gary said as he sat down himself.  
"This really isn't the time," Washu mumbled, not turning around.  
Gary sighed, slipping his gloves off "Mihoshi if these appear on my hands again, bop me on the head please" Gary smiled.  
Mihoshi nodded.  
  
There was some silence as the three sat there, Gary looking up at the high ceiling, Mihoshi looking down at the floor and Washu tapping away at her holo-screen.  
  
"Washu" Mihoshi asked, "What exactly are you doing"  
"Resurrecting the original Soja" Washu smiled.  
"What?" blinked Gary "you mean the one that actually worked?"  
"Yes" Washu said "if I can get it up and running, most essential services of the ship should transfer to the original programming, leaving Soja AI powerless"  
"So Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko are just decoys right now?" Mihoshi asked.  
Washu nodded as she whistled along to her work.  
  
****  
Ayeka gasped out loud as she started to feel the transfer working, she tested the new energy inside of her as she pulsed her shield outwards, slowly forcing the clone on top of her back up into the air. Her confidence grew and grew as the power inside grew with her.  
  
The clone on the other hand was thrown onto the back foot as he tried to fight back against the onslaught from the revitalised Princess. He was thrown back several meters as Ayeka got up, more and more logs filling the air between her and her opponent, the centre of her tiara glowing brighter and brighter as her connection with Sasami became stronger and stronger.  
  
Ayeka looked up at the clone, the clone looked back, both not showing any emotion.  
  
"Now Ayeka, now" a voice said in her head.  
"Got to keep calm" Ayeka said to herself softly.  
"Free yourself" the voice continued.  
"Got to keep in control"  
"Your sister will not be able to keep it up forever go now!"  
"Must.."  
"Everything!"  
  
Ayeka blinked as she saw the clone form a dark blue halo, a visible shield of some sort. She knew what she had to do. Tensing she widened the connection as far as she could, sucking in as much energy into her body as possible, knowing Tsunami would protect her she pressed on. Her tiara was pulsing with light, the energy begging to be unleashed.  
  
She fixed her position and put her hands out to her sides and bent her head slightly forwards. Then she felt it starting to escape, this pent up anger from a hundred different disappointments and the energy from a hundred different stars making this force unstoppable. Gritting her teeth she let rip, her Tiara exploding in a blast of ultra light as the stream of purple tinted energy blew its way towards the clone.  
  
The clone strengthened his shield at the last minute, throwing all his reserves into action at this point, but to no avail. The energy broke through the shield easily, striking the clone directly in the head. For a moment he stood there as the stream of energy pumped through him like he was being force-fed through a pipe in his chest. Then he started to fade away, the energy taking every particle of the clone's existence with it. As the stream subsided Ayeka breathed a sigh of relief, Tsunami had managed to protect her well, as she had no feeling of fatigue.   
  
"Thank you little Sasami" she thought in her head "Tsunami will be proud"  
  
Sasami smiled happily in her sleep as Katsohito dabbed her forehead with a wet cloth.  
"Sleep well my youngest sister" Katsohito smiled as he stood and looked around Sasami and Ayeka's bedroom "your sister will return soon".  
  
****  
  
Tenchi dodged backwards as the clone fought back with vigour, seeing Tenchi in trouble, Ryoko flew in, her foot outstretched. It connected perfectly with the side of the clone's neck as a dull crack was heard as the upper spine broke with the force of the kick. The clone fell to the floor. Motionless.  
  
Tenchi wiped his brow as he turned Tenchi-ken off. Ryoko smiled with satisfaction as she walked to the clone and looked down, the smiles turning to a grin.   
  
She blinked as she head a click from the corpse. It sounded like her own re-adjustment and re-generation routines, gasping she began to phase out.   
  
Too late.  
  
The clone struck upwards with a foot, knocking Ryoko back. The clone went in hard and fast delivering several quick punches to her face, a hard punch to her stomach. A crack was heard as Ryoko felt a plas-steel rib break. The clone finished it off with a bolt quick roundhouse kick to her neck.  
  
As Ryoko hit the floor, she phased through it, disappearing from view. Tenchi blinked as the clone looked up at him, forming his energy sword. Tenchi fumbled for his Tenchi-ken, re-forming it as the clone sprinted towards him. Ayeka gasped as she looked round. "Where's Ryoko?" she thought as she looked around.  
  
The clone struck, Tenchi blocking the low swing of the clone's sword swung it upwards, countering his opponent's first strike. The clone jumped backwards as Tenchi flew forward, one of the rare moments in his life where he was successfully attacking. Tenchi looked upwards for a fraction and saw one of the massive pistons, which pumped Soja with energy and had an idea.  
  
"Of course!" he blinked as he jumped back "Gary did this". He dodged round the clone who went back on the offensive. He then jumped onto the side of the Piston, looking down he saw blackness as he realised the risk he was taking. Slamming the Tenchi-ken into the cold hard metal he felt it burn and melt it's way into the piston. Smiling he started to use the Tenchi-ken as a climbing tool as the Clone jumped on and gave chase.  
  
Ayeka looked in horror as she saw Tenchi climb up and into the piston chamber, the piston was about to fall, slam down into the chamber and dissolve the two combatants into nothing.  
  
"Tenchi!" she screamed "don't!"  
  
Tenchi couldn't hear however as he flipped down into the chamber. Gritting his teeth he felt his battle armour dissipate the extreme heat that would usually burn an unprotected person to a crisp. He looked up as he saw the piston come down on him. Looking around, he saw that the clone didn't follow him that way. Readying his Tenchi-ken he counted about 15 seconds before he could kiss his life goodbye. Then he heard a zip, whirling round he saw the clone fly out of a dimension portal, blinking, totally unprepared and standing in an unset position he put his Tenchi-ken up in defences.   
  
Suddenly he saw logs appear around him, then a light bluish tint formed round as Ayeka started to lift Tenchi out of the piston.  
  
Roaring the Clone increased his speed, desperate to take Tenchi down with him. He suddenly saw black with a red stripe. Stopping in his tracks he bounced into Ryoko's bust, Ryoko grabbed the clone by the shoulders and lifted him up to head height.  
  
"It's rude to be so 'forward' sweetie pie" she winked.   
The clone blinked in shock as Ryoko nutted* him right on the nose, breaking it instantly, sending synthesised blood everywhere, vaporising in the heat as the piston was about to hit home. Ayeka lifted Tenchi out of the piston the logs doing their job perfectly.  
  
"Azaka! Kamidaki!" She called sternly.  
"Yes Princess" They chimed, as they appeared either side of her.  
"Get Lord Tenchi to safe ground and make sure he is okay"  
"Yes Ma'am" they responded as they lumbered into the air.  
  
Meanwhile, the clone weakly tried to free himself from Ryoko's grip, she just grinned manically as she punched and punched again in red mist, beating the clone into a pulp. Then as she saw the piston about to slam into the chamber she let go and phased through the piston as it fell down, crushing what was left of the clone, slamming the crumpled body again and again, preventing any regeneration from taking place.  
  
The logs around Tenchi disappeared as Azaka and Kamidaki took over the care of Tenchi who was nothing more than exhausted. The Royal guardians returned Tenchi to the ground next to Ayeka.  
  
Ryoko appeared from the floor; covered in the synthesised blood of the clone, brushing herself of the blood she looked up and blinked at Tenchi "Hey you okay Tenchi?".  
  
Tenchi felt sick as he saw Ryoko covered in what he thought was real blood and coughed as he threw up off the edge of the walkway they were standing on.  
  
"Oh Tenchi" sighed Ayeka. She turned and smiled at Ryoko who nodded back at Ayeka.  
  
"The last clones gone" Ryoko said to Washu through the link.  
"No I'm still got signals of one more" shook Washu.  
  
(* Nutt(ing)(ed) = British slang for head butting someone (or being head butted) very hard, speciality of people from Glasgow)  
"What?" blinked Ryoko "where?"  
"Everywhere" Washu said as she worked away.   
  
Ryoko blinked as the synthetic blood dripped off of her hair.  
"Oh Ryoko clean yourself up!" said Ayeka in exasperation.  
Ryoko nodded and phased out of existence. A minute later she returned, clean of blood.  
  
"Where did it all go?" Ayeka asked.  
"Oh it all evaporated" shrugged Ryoko.  
"Did we get rid of the clones?" Tenchi groaned.  
Ryoko shook her head.  
"We didn't"  
"We forgot about the biggest clone of all" Ryoko said "Soja"  
  
****  
  
Waiserdau was deep in thought as on the massive status display screen in the control room of Operation Watchman blinked on with the status of the two black op teams that were going to do their best to stay out of the way of the mayhem and disable Soja once and for all.   
  
He had looked at the last known plans of Soja that various they had 'borrowed' from various research institutes and university academies across the galaxy.   
  
From these they had pinpointed the main core room. From one end there seemed to be some furious close combat taking place but half a mile on the other end was the main core reactors, knock these out (hopefully) Soja should shut down for good.  
  
He saw the reaction on his aide's face as he explained the plan to Amnasaki.   
  
"But life-support will shut down, the people on board will die of asphyxiation!" he gasped in shock and horror.  
"You've failed to add three things to the boil Captain" Amnasaki said.  
"What?" the Captain asked.  
"The phasing ability of project 1, the untapped power of HCE Tsunami via the two Princesses and the able ness of a boy who does not yet know what he can do" Waiserdau listed on his fingers with a wry smile.  
"Herr Waiserdau, Commander Amnasaki" the Captain said with a grin "how do you know all of this?"  
"Well y'know" shrugged Waiserdau.  
"Well let's just say I read it all up...every night for the last couple of years" Amnasaki joked.  
  
Waiserdau grinned; they didn't stop laughing for a long time. He nodded as Amnasaki walked out.  
"Have they left yet?" Amnasaki asked.  
"Just about to enter Dimension Space now sir"  
"We can't get this wrong" Amnasaki rubbed his forehead "the last thing I need to do is authorise project 2 to clean the mess up"  
Waiserdau shook his head "expelling all we have within a day, is not the right thing to do sir, believe me" he said "McCann found that out the hard way" he mumbled to himself.  
"Well after what happened with Project 1, I think we'll take your advice and play it safe" nodded Amnasaki "does Project 1 know about Project 2?"  
Waiserdau shook his head.  
"And vice versa?"  
Waiserdau shook his head again "if Project 2 didn't have the scars then they'd both have heart attacks if they ever bumped into each other"  
  
This brought more smiles to Amnasaki and Waiserdau's faces as they looked out over the control hall. Rows upon rows of computer consoles, each operator helping making decisions that (in theory) will keep the peaceful status quo. Other divisions of Watchman are separated off, the Black ops division for instance is housed outside the main HQ centre and the higher-class entity division (or HCED) is in another part of the HQ building. But this hall has the responsibility of aiding the many field Watchmen in their work.  
  
"When will Project 2 be ready again?" Amnasaki asked.  
"Well she's on some rest leave after her last op, damn Black Jurains" Waiserdau said in reply.  
"They shook her up pretty badly?"   
"Well they weren't any problem, it was just their compound was wired to blow sky high, it did and Project 2 walked out black as the ace of spades" Waiserdau smiled weakly "took 2 weeks to scrub her down properly"  
Amnasaki nodded "Well as soon as she comes back in get her ready".  
Waiserdau nodded.  
  
****  
  
Ryoko was silent as she looked around her surroundings, Ayeka sat down, taking a breather for a moment, thinking just how she did what she just did. Never did her Royal instructors teach her ways of direct telepathic communication and channelling of energy. She just couldn't get her head around it.  
  
Tenchi however was still recovering from the nausea he experienced at a slightly 'bloody' Ryoko. He sat opposite Ayeka tapping his Tenchi-ken on the floor.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Ryoko asked Washu through the link.  
"Wait, he'll be here soon"  
"Who?" Ryoko asked "Soja?"   
"Yep" smiled Washu "and this time we'll be ready for it.   
  
Washu shuddered for a second as she finished that sentence.  
"What's wrong?" Ryoko asked.  
"We've got visitors" Washu said as she brought up a new holo-window, showing several new temporary dimension holes have just appeared and were about to fade out.  
"Where?"   
"Don't worry, they're not gonna get in our way"  
"If you say so" Ryoko shrugged as she looked into the haze of the Core room. The place was so big, the noise so loud that it was hard for her to hear properly.   
  
The constant booming of the Core pistons however didn't deter the Black Ops squad as they emerged from their dimensional portals. There were five of them, fanning out to their targets, the main five power generators that processed the energy made in the massive pistons a further mile up the generation room. While this wouldn't cut off power totally, it would seriously weaken the evil Soja's ability to cause havoc and would prevent the resonance cascade scenario.  
  
They placed a dimensional positional beacon on their targets, individual explosions being too weak to do the job properly as it wouldn't penetrate the ultra-thick outer shell of the generators.  
  
****  
  
"DPB's placed and activated sir" the DW operator said to Waiserdau.  
"I'm new sir and we don't get any internal training yet" Waiserdau's aide said "how does the system work exactly"  
"Every part of this room is made up of co-ordinates, every part of space, be it on earth, on another planet or even seven meters underground in solid rock. However it is very hard to exactly pin point exact coordinates in a location that our Watchmen have never been to before" Waiserdau explained as he saw 5 blue dots appear on the diagram of Soja's Core room up on the massive main screen.  
"And so the DPB is there to find the co-ordinates?"  
"Well yes" Waiserdau nodded "the DPB sends out a signal to our HQ, it's fed into computers with Co-ord information that is updated constantly" Waiserdau scratched his chin "the computer works everything out for us".  
"So what happens next?"  
"When we have the co-ords our Dimensional Warfare officer here sends the sealed orders to the Grunts for an arty strike"  
The DW operator grinned happily "CFP complete sir, all co-ordinates ready for use"  
Waiserdau sipped some of his gin snapps, smiling he slipped some shades on and said in a mock American voice "I love the small of snapps in the morning!" he took another swig in the morning "it smells like....victory!"  
"That's a yes?" the DW operator asked.  
"Of course" nodded Waiserdau.  
  
The DW operator nodded and went back to his console "12th Tactical Artillery we are go, go, go"  
  
"What's gonna happen now?" the aide asked.  
"Well we'll wait for 5 minutes and then we'll blow those generators up basically." Waiserdau said.  
"Therefore blowing any excess energy with it," the operator added.  
"And preventing the Resonance Cascade Scenario" completed Waiserdau.  
"What about those on board?" the aide asked.  
"What?" blinked Waiserdau.  
"Washu and the others?"  
Waiserdau sighed "there's no way we could influence what's about to happen, all we can do is watch and take note"  
  
****  
  
"Ouch" Tenchi grimaced as he felt a burn on the side of his arm; his armour wasn't as encasing as he had hoped. As well as that there were burns around the rips where the Clone had just missed with it's energy sword, still he was alive and his friends were alive, well the ones he could see anyway.  
  
Ryoko's eyes narrowed as she noticed something about 50 meters ahead on the platform they were on. A square frame began to appear out of nowhere.  
  
"It's here" she said to Washu.  
"Nearly done, couple more minutes," Washu mumbled.  
"You'd better hurry" Ryoko answered.  
  
The frame slowly filled with a transparent red liquid, when it reached the top a small light flashed for a brief second. Ayeka gasped as she saw what stepped out of the frame.  
  
"S-Soja?" Ryoko blinked.  
  
"Great guess, have a golden star," the figure said as it stepped into the light. It wore a white coloured black ops suit, its haircut nice and neatly, every part of the body impeccably clean and tidy. His face though was dark, like one of the gods of chaos itself.  
  
"Y'know over the millennia I've been drifting around 'killing' time, I've been looking out of this universe, I've seen you Ryoko, I've seen what you can do with your full power, the ability to travel from one side of the Universe to the other by Teleportation" Soja said.  
  
Ryoko just watched as she remembered the bad old days.  
  
"But the way to do it is inefficient, it takes too much energy, there must have been a way to transport myself"  
  
Silence.  
  
"The power to travel where I want, whenever I want, be it a different, planet, system, universe or dimension"  
  
Washu gasped as she listened in "Dammit!" she cursed in her head "I thought I destroyed that technology when I evacuated"  
  
The control room of Watchman was in silence as they all listened to Soja's broadcast, Amnasaki rubbed his eyes while Waiserdau clicked his neck in fatigue. This wasn't the statement he wanted, he hoped this wasn't being picked up by CNN, Reuters or BBC.  
  
"Anyway, here in this dimension we have limited means to achieve the level of efficiency I seek, to do what I need to do, I needed to find a way"  
  
Waiserdau said nothing as he listened.  
  
"I have found a way to maximum efficiency" Soja said as it's pure AI voice slowly faded away into the shadows and a new, darker voice replaced it "I can now travel beyond this universe."  
  
Washu looked visibly shaken when she heard that part, Soja had finally gone past the point of no return.  
  
"I have one goal, the extermination of all organic life for maximum efficiency for myself to explore the extents of the programming my creator entrusted to me"  
  
"Hey nice speech" Ryoko grinned "but you forgot about us"  
"Yes" Ayeka nodded as she walked up beside Ryoko "I will resist as long as I have strength in my body"  
Tenchi walked up next to the pair, silent "my anger will be double if you ever hurt my friends again"  
  
"Oooo!" it said sarcastically in its new ultra dark voice "now that is hard, Vinnie Jones has got nothing on you I can tell you"  
  
Tenchi just glared.  
  
****  
  
Katsohito dabbed Sasami's head again, looking up at the stars, he sighed. Saying nothing he picked Sasami up and made his way to the house.  
  
This was going to be a long night.  



	10. Pt.10

There was an eerie standoff as Tenchi and Soja just stared at each other. Ryoko stood next to Tenchi, as did Ayeka as they evaluated the situation.  
  
Ayeka felt the connection inside her reopen slowly; Tsunami knew what was going on, this was preparing her for what may happen in the near future.  
  
Ryoko was also getting signals she increased the amount of energy she was drawing from her Gems.  
  
All three knew they were the pieces to the puzzle to defeat Soja, how exactly to place these pieces however was a different matter.  
  
Washu wiped the sweat from her forehead, a smile started to develop on her lips, this grew ever wider.  
  
"Done it!" she said happily as pressed enter, the Holo-screen flashed up a re-boot, the updated bios and then:  
  
"Soja AI v2 restart activated, ETA to full system awareness 5 minutes"  
  
Gary, panting, the brain reconstruction still going on inside of his head looked over Washu's shoulder.  
  
"What have you done?" he asked quirking an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh nothing a genius like me couldn't have done" Washu said smugly to herself, grinning like s Cheshire car.  
"Which is?"  
"I reserved a space on Soja's virtual space 10,000 years ago, not even Soja AI itself could access this space. The plan was for me to hack into it at a later date a reconstruct a 'Warrior' Soja AI from scratch. One, which could take on the evil AI"  
  
"And you did all of that within 30 minutes?" blinked Gary.  
  
"Uh-huh" Washu nodded, smiling happily, very pleased with herself "beat my personal record of 35 minutes, cool huh?"  
  
"So what are we waiting for?" Mihoshi said "can't we let this new program at the evil AI now?"  
  
Washu shook her head, waging a finger in Mihoshi's face "patience, this program will put Soja into a state of limbo, this new AI is designed to nullify Soja, not beat it, so we have to find a time when the evil Soja is at it's weakest so we can let Soja 2 infiltrate it's systems and begin limbo"  
  
"So we wait?" Gary as he eased himself into a sitting position "and hope Tenchi and co can hold the line?"  
  
Washu nodded "don't worry they'll do it".  
  
***  
  
"Sir" shouted Waiserdau's aide "something has come up"  
  
Amnasaki and Waiserdau rushed over to the controller in question.  
  
"What have you found?" Waiserdau said, sweating a bit at the forehead.  
"We were doing a check on Soja's systems and we found a closed off area of space, security protocols were nothing on the scale we had ever seen, we managed to find a backdoor that was already being used and found this Operating System"  
  
The controller brought up a new window it read:   
  
"Soja AI v2   
Command/"  
Waiserdau read the command prompt.  
"What do you make of it?" he asked the Controller.  
"Well we went over the coding and we think it's a dedicated anti-viral OS sir," the Controller explained.  
  
"Washu" Waiserdau thought, "She's fighting it"  
Waiserdau looked to Amnasaki "Sir I would recommend a bringing forward of the Arty strike deadline"  
"How long now?" Amnasaki asked.  
"Two hours sir" Waiserdau said "I think Soja might bring dimensional travel forward beyond that time however, I'd recommend it being brought forward to say 10 minutes from now"  
Amnasaki thought for a moment, looking Waiserdau dead in the eye, then he sighed  
"You have my seal of approval Waiserdau" he smiled "go for it".  
  
Waiserdau walked off with his aide.  
"What now sir?"  
"Tell the Arty to fire in about five minutes" Waiserdau said sternly as he snatched a fresh coffee off of a lieutenant as he walked past.  
"But you said ten" the aide said, raising an eyebrow.  
"I like to be unpredictable" Waiserdau smiled as he sipped his newly won coffee.  
  
***  
  
"Just keep it busy for a bit longer" Washu said into Ryoko's head.  
"Like we couldn't do anything else," Ryoko thought back sarcastically.  
Soja stood there, with a smile.  
"Well are we just going to stand here and stare, even our esteemed Royal guest here would know her manners" it said with a tint of humour.  
  
Ayeka glared back in contempt, her palms clenched tightly.  
"Got to hold it back," she thought shakily.  
"Ayeka you must keep calm, the time will come when the three of you will work together to destroy the inherent evil that is here"  
Ayeka blinked in her head as she suddenly left the Soja in all but body. Tenchi looked at her as she stood there, transfixed on the spot.  
  
Washu was waiting for the right moment to strike. Slowly her head felt warm and fuzzy, yet sharp and alert like it always was. Like she was feeling something that she had experienced before and had liked, something ingrained in her mind.  
  
"What..." she mouthed to herself as she felt a force sweep over her.  
  
Tenchi felt his mind go blank, he slowly saw himself as he started to leave as well, blinking and too surprised to say anything he drifted slowly away.  
  
Soja just raised an eyebrow as now Tenchi and Ayeka were standing, eyes blankly staring ahead. Ryoko blinked then felt herself disengage.  
  
"Washu!" she said in her mind "what's happening???"   
"Be calm" Washu said, "I think you're having an out of body experience"  
"What does that mean!"  
"I don't know just go with the flow!" Washu giggled.  
  
In one flash she appeared in Jurai-ten, the high-blades of grass flowing in the wind with grace as the autumn sun shone over the green lush valley, native to the planet Jurai.   
  
In the centre was Ayeka's tree, Ryu-oh, next to it, standing in all her glory was Tsunami. Ryoko appeared next to Ayeka and Tenchi, both looking over themselves. Ayeka looked up and saw Tsunami.  
  
"Tsunami" Ayeka gasped as she ran over "what are you doing here?"  
"Yeah we're meant to be stopping Soja!" Ryoko said sceptically.  
"This is Tsunami?" Tenchi said, quite in awe.  
  
"Time is short" Tsunami began "Ayeka, your younger sister cannot hold the connection for long" Tsunami said.  
Ayeka nodded, she understood the effort Sasami must've put into helping her through her battles.  
"Soon the evil will expand, it will try to engulf you all, you can stop this though"  
  
The three looked at each other.  
  
"Ryoko, Ayeka" Tsunami said as she walked towards them "I know there is much strife between you and despite your truce, it still clouds both of your minds"  
  
Ayeka looked at Ryoko and Ryoko at Ayeka, both exchanging apologetic looks.  
Tsunami walked to Tenchi "Tenchi, by handling the Tenchi-ken you have proved your ancestry"  
Tenchi blinked "pardon?"  
"You Tenchi are the descendent of Crown Prince Yosho of Jurai" Tsunami said "but that must be left for now"  
Tenchi nodded, getting over the original shock, Ayeka though was shocked and looked at Ryoko who shrugged.  
"You have a pure mind and soul Tenchi, your Grandfather has taught you well" Tsunami said "the time has come to combine the power of the sword, the gems and the mind to form one unstoppable force".  
  
"But how?" Ryoko asked.  
"It will come to you, trust me it will" Tsunami said calmly "now I must go, Sasami cannot hold the gate open any longer and I must return to protect her"  
The three nodded.  
"Farewell and good luck" smiled Tsunami quietly as she walked to Ryu-oh.  
  
***  
  
Tenchi gasped as he came back to reality, Ayeka rubbing her eyes as was Ryoko.  
"Oh we all back now?" Soja said.  
"We can defeat you" Tenchi replied, "We've seen it"  
"I don't care if you seen whole FHM calendar on a nudist beach" it muttered as it's eyes narrowed "you're still gonna burn".  
  
With that Soja formed what appeared to be an ordinary energy sword, then as Soja pulsed more energy into the sword it grew larger and more elaborate.  
  
"Washu what is that thing?" Ryoko said in her head.  
"That's my experimental energy sword v0.1, it is the most powerful sword I ever produced, you could boost the hitting power by pumping more and more energy but I never completed it because it was too unstable" Washu explained.  
"And you never outfitted that to me!" Ryoko sounded hurt.  
"Not unless you get kicks out of getting your arm getting blown apart" Washu smiled back.  
  
Tenchi looked to Ayeka and Ryoko "what can we do?"  
Ryoko looked to Ayeka who nodded to Ryoko.  
"Tenchi!" Ryoko said "hold your sword in your hands"  
Tenchi complied.  
"Now me and Ayeka hold hands with one hand and hold each end of Tenchi-ken with our other hand"  
Ayeka nodded and put her left hand on the Tenchi-ken and held Ryoko's hand with her right.  
"Now pray that our individual energy flows out and intermingles with each other," Ryoko murmured as she closed her eyes.  
  
The three focused as the bond between them grew stronger, energy started to flow from Ayeka's tiara, the Tenchi-ken and Ryoko's Gems. They started to mix and bond together in the middle of the triangle slowly rising upwards.  
  
Soja seeing this glared in hate and started to move towards the three.  
"You won't stop me now, not now, not ever!" it screamed in an inhuman tone as it raised it's sword, sprinting towards them now.  
  
***  
  
"Sir Arty strike commencing in 10 secs" the DW officer said.  
Waiserdau nodded as he saw the display on the 6 generators, somewhere, far away on the other side of the earth in the middle of nowhere, 20 of the most advanced heavy artillery was about to surgically insert several high explosive shells into the generators, starting a chain reaction that will bring about their destruction.  
  
"3...2...1...firing has commenced, 40 shells being fired, 2 shells per gun in the battery" the DW officer said.  
  
Waiserdau just watched as he saw the ripples around the 6 generators to show the exit and re-entry holes the shells were taking into their respective targets.  
  
"Lieutenant-Bombardier Inzaman has confirmed 40 direct hits sir, insertion operation complete success," the DW officer said.  
  
Waiserdau noted something down on a small notepad, a habit he picked up from his previous superior.  
  
All he had to do was wait.  
  
Soja stopped as it felt shockwaves; it looked back down the walkway as it saw six large explosions about a mile down the vast engine room.  
  
"No" it said in surprise "no!" it screamed "not now!"  
  
"Yes now!" grinned Washu over a voice network as she started to regain control of the ship "inserting Soja AI v2"  
  
Soja gasped as an identical copy suddenly appeared, this new Soja however was green, had a lighter haircut and on the whole, much more presentable.  
  
"Yo..You" Soja stammered at the newcomer.  
"I am indeed" winked Soja v2 "I'm here to exercise your worst case scenario"  
Soja stepped back, its sword disappearing "you can't do this, not now, not when I'm so close!" it turned and try to run, it's emotion programming in overload.  
  
Soja v2 simply leapt and immediately merged into Soja with no trouble.  
  
"Washu you bitch!" it cried "you will feel me again you hear!"  
  
Then silence as it stood there, frozen in time as Soja v2 neutralised it.  
  
"Operation complete success, all six targets destroyed" said the DW officer as he looked up at Waiserdau.  
  
There were no cheers, no whooping or hugs exchanged, just the usual sigh of relief, the beginning of event and witness reports and the order for more coffee.  
  
Waiserdau looked up to Amnasaki who nodded down from his office, Waiserdau smiled and turned to the Duty officer.  
  
"Call off the RCS alert and go back to normal business" Waiserdau said.  
"Yes sir" the Duty officer grinned.  
  
***  
  
Washu appeared above the three in a holo-video link as their energy reached a climax.  
  
"Hurry" Washu shouted through the link "Soja v2 will only keep Soja at bay for a period of time only"  
  
Tenchi looked up and nodded, he started to pray for all the energy to be returned to Tenchi-ken. The orange-ish mass of energy flowed into the sword as Ayeka and Ryoko moved to flank Tenchi on either side, supplying the energy that powers the Tenchi ken.  
  
Ayeka first felt her connection expanding, forcing a rush of energy from Tsunami; she regulated it so it flowed quickly to Tenchi. Ryoko felt the same urge too to flood her connection with Tenchi with energy.  
  
Tenchi gasped as he felt the rush hit him a bright white sheet of light formed in front of him, instinctively he held the Tenchi-ken in front, attracting the light towards him.  
  
Ayeka's Tiara glowed and then went into strobe as Ryoko's eyes started to turn red, the energy being expelled by the two taking on astronomical levels.  
  
The light flashed through him, coating him from head to toe. Then as soon as it appeared, it disappeared. Tenchi remerged from the steam clothed in a new light; he was covered in head to toe in the clothes of legend, and the warrior that Grandfather had said would turn into when he inherited the Tenchi-ken.   
  
Knowing what he must do, he held out his left arm, a new white sheet of light appeared in the shape of a shield.  
  
"The wings of the Light hawk" said Washu in amazement "I knew they were all special!" she giggled.   
  
Tenchi stuck his arm into the white light and it disappeared, forming the sword of the light hawk into his hand.  
  
Face stern and determined he looked at the frozen Soja, taking a step and setting his position he began to learn.  
  
Moving forward with unnerving speed and force, spurred on by the energy provided by Ryoko and Ayeka, Tenchi swung at Soja, the sword cutting through the figure as he passed.  
  
Finishing the sequence he slowly formed back to his battle stance turning round to see what he had done.  
  
Soja had literally been sliced in half, crackling around the sliced midsection. It's face in shock and amusement.  
  
"You think you can get rid of me hah!" it spat, trying to hold back laughter "Washu may think I am gone but I will return...you can be sure I will return!"  
  
Soja's insane cackles could be heard as it slowly faded away into nothingness.  
  
As soon as Soja had wasted away, Tenchi's suit faded away as well, he heard Ayeka gasp out loud as the connection inside of her was abruptly cut off, falling to her knees, she yawned, as she felt sleepy.  
  
Ryoko also strained, her gems somehow forcefully powering down, in the end she too started to succumb, sleep clouding over her eyes.  
  
Tenchi blinked, he himself didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy as he walked over to the two sleeping girls to check to see if they're okay.  
  
"Heh" Washu said as she walked into the engine room "I didn't know you had that up your sleeves!"  
  
Behind Mihoshi limped in, Gary trying to make her journey as painless as possible.  
"But why are they sleeping?" Tenchi said.  
"They put so much into helping you, in fact I was afraid of some kind of overload they were pumping so much energy" Washu said, a grin forming "somehow I think they were competing for him there as they would anywhere else" she said to herself.  
  
"I heard that!" Ryoko snapped in Washu's mind.  
Washu just winked at Ryoko's sleeping form.  
  
"And Soja?" Gary asked.  
"Destroyed forever, if not forever then forever in Limbo with Soja v2" Washu shrugged as wiped her brow again.  
"So how are the systems still up then?" Mihoshi said.  
"I've installed a temporary Soja AI that's here to maintain the ships systems, nothing more"  
  
***  
  
"Wow!" shouted one controller as he looked at his screen.  
"What?" Waiserdau as he paced over "I thought we were over for the evening?"  
"I just seen this colossal amount of energy being released in the Engine room of Soja sir" the controller said, passing the printouts to Waiserdau.  
Waiserdau nodded with a smile "I'll go over them tomorrow morning, anything now?"  
The controller shook his head "nope, only now the components in the Engine room are becoming unstable, now we're looking at the detonation of Soja itself".  
  
Waiserdau grinned as he walked off "I'll be off now, Duty officer you have control of the centre, give me a call if anything else crops up"  
  
"Yes sir" the Duty officer said.  
  
Washu was about to pick Ryoko up when a massive shudder was felt throughout the ship, she looked down the hall into the distance and saw what exactly what she didn't want to see this early.  
  
"Damn!" she cursed "the ships breaking up"  
Tenchi blinked in fright "what!"  
"Soja is held together by a force field, this disables any need for ultra welding etc" Washu said sheepishly "however if the power is knocked out, the ship starts to fall apart"  
  
Tenchi shuddered as he felt one part of Soja slip away "lets get out of here!"  
  
The trip back to the ships was actually quite smooth, the new 'caretaker' Soja had opened all the doors and removed all the traps. As soon as they got to the hole though they realised that there was no getting through the logs.  
  
"Ayeka wake up!" Tenchi said frantically as he looked at the hole, still filled with the logs of Jurai.  
"Come on you know you wanna wake up!" Gary said as he held Mihoshi up.  
  
Ayeka smiled sleepily and held her hand up, still in deep slumber.  
  
The logs fell away, allowing access to the Yukinojo. Gary sighed as he carried Mihoshi on board.  
  
"We'll get on Ryo-ohki and Ryu-oh" Washu shouted as Gary entered the ship.  
"Righto" Gary nodded as he closed the main entry hatch.  
  
"Uh Washu" Tenchi said unsteadily "why do I have to carry both the girls", he was holding Ryoko over one shoulder while he held Ayeka over his other shoulder.  
"Why I can't believe you could even rely on such a small child like me to that!" giggled Washu playfully "Ryo-ohki!" she chimed happily.  
  
"Miya miya!" Ryo-ohki replied happily as she towed Ryu-oh towards the Soja, soon they were inside Ryo-ohki.  
  
Two special hover beds were instantly constructed by Ryo-ohki, Tenchi smiled happily as he laid Ryoko then Ayeka down on each bed and watched them snooze happily.  
  
"They look so peaceful when they're quiet...quite cute actually" Tenchi said to Washu who began to manoeuvre away from Soja.  
"Yep well that's what being young is about" smiled Washu "being quiet and calm on the outside and a miniature tsunami on the outside!".  
  
Washu's smile turned to one of shock as she looked out of the view screen.  
"Dammit!" she cursed.  
As they were speeding away from Soja, the engine room as slid out of it's fitting to the ship and was floating freely into space. However it wasn't heading for deep space, it was on a collision course with Earth's biggest satellite, the Moon.  
  
Tenchi looked in horror as the massive engine block collided with the Moon, though to his and Washu's amazement, the collision didn't even budge the Moon, instead a smaller part of the engine block bounced off of the Moon, a lot of moon rock embedded into it.  
  
"Say" Washu said as she looked closely "Ryo-ohki take us in to that block"  
"What you crazy!" Tenchi said, "We could be crushed!"  
"No we won't" Washu muttered, "We're getting a new bath".  
  
In one skilful movement, Ryo-ohki disengaged from its 'jam' with Ryu-oh and sped to the block. Ryo-ohki flipped around, locking with the engine block as they started to tow it to Earth.  
  
Meanwhile on Yukinojo, Gary had assumed command of the ship as it returned to Earth, Mihoshi tried to protest but was banished to a bed in her bedroom.  
  
Gary, worried about Mihoshi set Yukinojo to autopilot. He made his way back to the living quarters to check up on her. He walked in just as Mihoshi, now dressed back into her normal clothes was about to leave her bedroom.  
  
"Mihoshi!" Gary said.  
"What?" blinked Mihoshi.  
"What do you mean what?" Gary glared "you're meant to be in bed!"  
Mihoshi looked down glumly "I...I'm sorry I just wanted to help that's all"  
Gary looked a bit guilty for snapping at Mihoshi, he walked over and put a hand on Mihoshi's shoulder.  
"I'm sorry its just you're hurt and you need rest!" he said with a smile "you've done more than enough to help protect Washu"  
Mihoshi smiled weakly up into Gary's eyes "I..um..don't know what to say"  
Gary blushed as he moved away, going back to the door to the cockpit "I.. ah.. have to go steer Yukinojo, now you go and get some rest"  
  
As Gary left Mihoshi thought to herself as she got back into bed "what's troubling Gary?"  
  
***  
  
"Yeah I'm sure they won't half the moon!" Ryoko said sarcastically as she looked over the lake at the new arrival.  
"Well it doe look nice, with all the excess water draining out like a waterfall into the lake" Ayeka noted with a smile.  
  
"Well I think it looks really nice" Sasami said, Ryo-ohki on her head, snoring away happily "thank you Washu"  
"Well that bath inside the house was getting a bit crowded" Washu said  
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Onsen!"  
Washu played with the holo-keyboard as she stabilised the height of the moon rock, which had now been covered with a glass shield and planted with tropical plant life, the atmosphere inside powered by the heat from the generators powering the anti-gravity engines that had broken free from Soja. This also heated the water with was circulated around the Onsen.  
  
Mihoshi giggled happily "wow that sounds really good eh Gary?"  
"Just don't catch me when I'm on my stool okay!" Gary grinned.  
"Man I've been dying for a chance to properly relax" Ryoko smiled as she looked up at it.  
"How about you Tenchi?" Ayeka said as she turned around "Tenchi?"  
Tenchi was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Tenchi was snoring happily in bed in his bedroom, frankly too tired to do anything at all.  
  
  
Fin  
  
***Final part of Series 1 - Trust - Epilouge***  



	11. End

***This Fanfic is written without the permission of both Pioneer and AIC but I'm not   
selling it so please do not sue me. Actually what you can do Pioneer and AIC is reopen   
sales of Tenchi in the UK (you know how much it costs to get the stuff from   
America!!!!!!!) PLEASE!!!! ***  
  
"I always did like the stuff they served here" Waiserdau said as he sipped his drink.   
  
"Yeah, I always had a sample of it so I could replicate it on worlds that didn't have the ingredients" Washu said   
"ah well just cos you're the biggest genius in the Universe dosen't mean you can make good tea from scratch!" she blinked at that "oh yeah I can" She giggled.  
  
Waiserdau raised an eyebrow as he finnished the rest of his drink, he looked around his surroundings.  
"I always remembered the Academy like this" he smiled.  
  
"No you don't" frowned Washu "you probabbly even don't remember smuggling in all those crates of Jurain wine and those women from Yakahase house at the other end of the campus"  
  
Waiserdau blushed "not so loud!" he hissed "some of the illumanai are still around, about to see the light fantastic yes but they can still give me a good beating!"  
  
Washu grinned, she always knew how to wind him up.  
"Oh" she blushed deeply "remember what happened when I got myself smuggled in..ooohh all those mean and nasty yet incredibly kinky things you and your freinds were going to do to my virgin body" she said in a trembly voice out loud.  
  
A couple of heads turned.  
  
"Dammit Washu shush!" Waiserdau whispered, trying not to wound up too much "anyway what happened down on the ground Washu, our readings were going off of the scale several times over at one point"  
  
"Oh it was my daughter, the Princesses and the boy" Washu remarked as she looked out of the dome and at the countryside, which had strangly only increased in beauty since she was last here over several millenia ago.  
  
"Your daughter.." Waiserdau said "you mean project 1?"  
  
Washu nodded "I never did like how you went behind my back Makanaze" she looked up.  
we're there as a means to make sure that nature takes it's course, we needed some kind of powerful agent to carry out only our hardest of missions, we saw project 1 in that pod, released her and took a DNA sample"  
  
Washu nodded and waved her hand "spare me the details, she was my daughter and you went at her like some autopsy expert"  
Waiserdau glared back "Only becuase you used the money we gave you to construct Soja rather than make project 1 like we told you too!"  
  
"Don't go into that again!" snapped Washu, seeing how tense she was, she loosened up, leaning back "besides" she smiled "project 1 was never gonna listen to you anyway"  
  
"Yes that is true" Waiserdau said "actually I've just remembered, its about Project 2"  
  
Washu blinked "what?" she asked "is there something wrong with her?"  
  
Waiserdau shook his head "no, no I'm just saying this will be her last assignment before she gets her discharge"  
  
Washu just looked at Waiserdau "you're not serious"  
  
"I am!" Waiserdau smiled.  
  
"You're willing to give away your best agent since n53 left"   
  
"Yes" Waiserdau nodded.  
  
Washu smiled a wry smile at Waiserdau, she rose from her seat the tea room "I have to make my way back home, I'm sure your friends will take me back?"  
  
Waiserdau nodded "yeah" as Washu headed away Waiserdau called "how does it feel to be back at the Science academy after all these years?"  
  
Washu turned and smiled "an experience".  
  
Fin  
  
*** Well thats the end of the 1st series, PHEW! This has turned out into something bigger than I had expected when I penned the it a couple of months ago as a test. My prereader liked it so I decided to do a 10 person test. About 8 out of 10 liked it so I went on and here I am, ready to start a second series of 10 parts. Hope you liked the new characters, the new setting, the ways of doing things and of course the new universe:) . I also hope you enjoyed it as much I did reading it. The best thing to do is listen to "Scorchio" by Sasha and Emerson :)  
  
regards  
  
Pudduh. ***  



End file.
